Plateia or Platia (πλατεία) is the Greek word for town square. Most Greek and Cypriot cities have several town squares which are a point of reference in travelling and guiding. In traditional societies like villages and provincial communities, plateies are the central places for feasts, celebrations, events and meetings.
Ancient Greek Cities[edit]
The original ancient Greek word (plural plateiai) meant one of the (usually 3) main streets in an ancient Greek city such as Naples.[1] The stenopoi, narrower, mainly north-south, streets were placed between the plateia in the orthogonal town plan to form rectangular blocks for buildings.
Notable squares (plateies) in Greece[edit]
- Athens:
- Amerikis Square - Patissia
- Eleftherias Square
- Exarcheion Square - Exarcheia
- Iroon Square - Psyri
- Karaiskaki Square - Metaxourgeio
- Klauthmonos Square
- Koliatsou Square
- Kolonaki Square - Kolonaki
- Kotzia Square (by the city hall of Athens)
- Koumoundourou Square
- Kypselis Square - Kypseli, Athens
- Lysikratous Square - Plaka
- Mavili Square
- Mitropoleos Square (by the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens)
- Monastiraki Square
- Omonoia Square (Plateia Omonoias, Concord Square)
- Pagratiou Square - Pagrati
- Syntagma Square (Constitution Square, Greek: Plateia Syntagmatos)
- Viktoria Square
- Suburban Athens:
- Agia Paraskevi Square - Agia Paraskevi
- Iroon Square - Ano Liosia
- Agia Triada Square - Argyroupoli
- Chalandriou Square - Chalandri
- Dourou Square - Chalandri
- Karaiskaki Square - Ilioupoli
- Davaki Square Plateia Davaki - Kallithea, SW of Athens
- Plateia Othonos - Neo Irakleio
- Aristotelous Square, Athens - Thrakomakedones
- Iroon Square (Plateia Iroon) - Vrilissia
- Pavlou Mela Square Plateia Pavlou Mela - Axioupoli
- Central Square Kentriki Plateia - Didymoteicho
- Egon Square - Edessa
- Eleftherias Square - Feres
- Central Square Kentriki Plateia - Filiatra
- Central Square Kentriki Plateia - Fyli
- Agia Triada Square - Glyka Nera
- Marathonas Square - Grammatiko
- Bakogiannis Square - Heraklia
- Daskalogiannis Square Plateia Daskalogianni (named after Daskalogiannis) - Heraklio
- Elefterias Square - Plateia Elefterias - Katerini
- Agoras Square (meaning Market Square) Plateia Agoras - Kilkis
- Vizyinou Square - Komotini
- Nikis Square - Plateia Nikis - Kozani
- Lassani Square - Plateia Lassani - Kozani
- Laou Square - Lamia
- Agiou Dimitriou Square - Lechaina
- Christos Elkomenos Square - Monemvasia
- Sapphous Square - Mytilene
- Plateia Syntagmatos and Trion Navarchon Square - Nafplio
- Patras:
- Agia Sofia Square (in the Agia Sofia neighbourhood)
- Georgiou I Square (Dimokratias)
- Marouda Square - a square featuring the statue of Konstantinos Giannias
- Olga Square Plateia Olgas(Ethnikis Antistasis)
- Pyrosvesteio Square (in the Pyrosvesteio neighborhood)
- A square in the Agios Andreas neighborhood by Trion Navarcheion Street
- A square in the Agios Dionyssios neighborhood
- A square by Agiou Nikolaou Street near the Port of Patras
- A square at the east end of Dimitri Gounari Street near the Drosia neighbourhood
- A square in the Tsivdi neighborhood
- A square on Akrotiriou Street by Damaskou
- A square by Akrotiriou Street near Evvoias Street
- A square on Georgiou Olympou Street
- Two squares on Lontou Street
- Ypsila Alonia Square Plateia Ypsila Alonia - all in Patras
- Korai Square Plateia Korai - Piraeus
- Eleftherias Square - Rhodes
- Eleftherias Square - Servia
- Agias Mimas Square - Spetses
- Aristotelous Square - Thessaloniki
- Eleftherias Square - Thessaloniki
- Kennedy Square, and two others - Tripoli
- Riga Fereou Square - Volos
- Kampana Square - Kefalonia
In Cyprus[edit]
- Eleftheria Square - Nicosia
- Faneromeni Square - Nicosia
- Solomos Square - Nicosia
- Eleftheria Square - Larnaca
- Troodos Square - Troodos mountains; used as a point of reference for meteorological, (time) distance and altitude purposes.
See also[edit]
- Agora
- List of city squares
- List of fountains in Greece
- Market square
- Town square
- Roman Forum
- Forum (Roman)
Gallery[edit]
-
-
Spilias Square, Corfu (city) -
Psilalonia Square, Patras -
Kapnergati Square, Kavala -
-
Ippokratous Square, Rhodes (city) -
Square of the Jewish Martyrs, Rhodes (city) -
Syntagma Square, Nafplion
References[edit]
- ^ La pianta greca della città di Napoli https://www.visitnaples.eu/napoletanita/percorri-napoli/la-griglia-regolare-della-citta-di-napoli-castra-cardi-e-decumani