Oitylo Οίτυλο | |
|---|---|
 View of Limeni | |
  Oitylo Location within the regional unit  | |
| Coordinates:36°42.4′N22°23.3′E / 36.7067°N 22.3883°E /36.7067; 22.3883 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Peloponnese |
| Regional unit | Laconia |
| Municipality | East Mani |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 218.582 km2 (84.395 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 251 m (823 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 3,643 |
| • Municipal unit density | 17/km2 (43/sq mi) |
| • Community | 474 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 230 62 |
| Area code(s) | 27330 |
| Vehicle registration | ΑΚ |
| Website | www.dimosoitilou.gr |
Oitylo (Greek:Οίτυλο, pronounced Ítilo), known as "Βίτσουλο", pronounced Vitsoulo, in the native Maniot dialect,[2] is a village and a formermunicipality inLaconia,Peloponnese,Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipalityEast Mani, of which it is a municipal unit.[3]
Oitylo is one of the oldest towns in theMani Peninsula. It was mentioned in theIliad byHomer asOetylus (Ancient Greek:Οίτυλος), as part ofMenelaus' kingdom. In theMiddle Ages, it grew to become the most important town in Messenian Mani. The only town in Mani that rivaled Oitylos in numbers of pirates wasSkoutari.
NowAreopoli has taken Oitylo's place as the most important town in Laconian Mani. Areopoli was also the seat of the municipality of Oitylo, which is located on the western half of the Mani Peninsula in the extreme southwestern part ofLaconia. It has a land area of 218.582 km2.[4] There are 91 villages in the municipality. The largest of these are Areópoli,Pyrgos Dirou andOítylo.
The municipal unit Oitylo is subdivided into the following communities:
| Year | Village | Community | Municipal unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | - | 507 | - |
| 1991[5] | 313 | 540 | 4,859 |
| 2001[4] | 258 | 391 | 3,959 |
| 2011[6] | 224 | 392 | 3,515 |
| 2021[1] | 324 | 474 | 3,643 |
The province of Oitylo (Greek:Επαρχία Οιτύλου) was one of theprovinces of the Laconia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipal unit Oitylo.[5] It was abolished in 2006.