Sparta, Laconia


Sparta is a city and municipality in the Peloponnese region of Greece, and the capital of the Laconia regional unit. It lies at the site of ancient Sparta within the Evrotas Valley. The municipality was merged with six nearby municipalities in 2011, for a total population of 32,786 as of 2021, of whom 17,773 live in the city.

History

Beginning in the 13th century, the political and cultural center of Laconia shifted to Mystras, some 4 km to the west. The settlement at ancient Sparta, named Lacedaemonia, continued to exist, although greatly depopulated, until modern times as a town of a few thousand people who lived among the ruins, in the shadow of Mystras. The Palaiologos family also lived in Mystras. The Despotate of the Morea was captured by the Ottomans under Mehmed II in 1460.
In 1834, after the Greek War of Independence, King Otto of Greece decreed the town should be expanded into a city. Modern-day Sparta, the capital of the prefecture of Lakonia, lies on the eastern foothills of Mount Taygetos in the Evrotas River valley. The city has been built upon the site of ancient Sparta, whose Acropolis lies north of the modern city. To the southwest stands Mt. Taygetos. To the east of the city stands the Parnonas mountain range, which is forested predominantly with Greek fir trees and other conifers.
The municipality was formed on 21 March 1835, and officially declared the Municipality of Sparta in 1845. It was transferred from Laconia to Lacedaemon Province in 1899, but this was reversed in 1909. The city hall was constructed in 1872 during the tenure of Mayor Emmanuel Meletopoulos.
Today, Sparta maintains large squares and wide streets lined with trees, while many of the older buildings remain in excellent condition. The city of Sparta is the economic, administrative and cultural center of Lakonia. A key factor in the advancement of the city's development is the operation of two departments of the University of Peloponnese and a department of the Technological Educational Institute.
The centrally located main square is dominated by the most imposing neo-classical building in Sparta, the City Hall. Built in 1909, City Hall bears the signature of the Greek architect G. Katsaros. During the monarchy, the title of Duke of Sparta was used for the Greek crown prince, the διάδοχος.

Municipality

The municipality of Sparta was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following seven former municipalities, that became municipal units:
  • Faris
  • Karyes
  • Mystras
  • Oinountas
  • Pellana
  • Sparta
  • Therapnes
The municipality has an area of 1,181.780 km2, the municipal unit 84.453 km2. The municipal unit consists of the local communities Sparta, Afisi, Amykles, Kalyvia Sochas and Kladas.

Politics

Petros Doukas, who served from 2019 to 2023, was affiliated with New Democracy. Michalis Vakalopoulos was elected mayor of Sparta in 2023 as a member of the Sparta Together coalition.
#PartyMayorTerm startTerm endNotesReference
1Emmanuel Meletopoulos18371879Longest serving mayor
2Adamantios Roussopoulos18791895
3Pericles Salvaras18951903
4Elias Kopanitsas19071914
5Lymberopoulos19141925
6Dimitrios Mylonakos19251926Died in office
7Elias Gortsologos19261941
8Gr. Petrakos19411945
9Ioannis Kontoulakos19461948
10Petros Xanthakos19481950
11George Minakakis19501951
12Ioannis Kontoulakos19511955
13Venizelos Zerveas19551964
14George Sainopoulos19641967
15Georgios Linardakis19671974Appointed by Greek junta
16Andreas Markakis19741975Appointed by government of Konstantinos Karamanlis
17George Sainopoulos19751978
18Nikolaos Sahamis19781986
19Paraskevas-Demosthenis Matala19871998
20Paraskevas-Demosthenis Matala19982002
21Sarantos Antonakos20032010Resigned due to health issues and died the same year
22Christos Patsilivas20102010
23Stavros Argeitakos20112014
24Evangelos Valiotis20142019
25Petros Doukas20192023
26Michalis Vakalopoulos2023

Demographics

YearTownMunicipal unitMunicipality
196110,412——
198112,975——
199113,01116,322—
200114,81719,567—
201117,40819,85435,259
202117,77319,86532,786

Climate

The city of Sparta enjoys a sunny and warm Mediterranean climate. January highs are around while July and August highs are over in the city proper. Sparta records among the highest summer average maximum temperatures in Greece. The highest temperature ever recorded in Sparta is in August 2021. On average, Sparta records 6 days per year with temperatures of over. In June 2024, Sparta recorded an astonishing mean max temperature of. In July 2024 the HNMS station in Sparta registered a record average maximum temperature of while the NOA station registered. In July 2025 the NOA station reached a record mean maximum temperature of.

Tourism

Main sites

In the center of the city is the Archaeological Museum. Built by architect G. Katsaros,
in 1874-76 to house the collection of local archaeological finds by Panagiotis Stamatakis, it was the first Greek museum in a provincial city.
The city's cathedral is at the southwest end.
The ruins of ancient Sparta lie north of the city. Entering by the South Gate of the Acropolis, known as Lakedaemonia, there is the Rotunda, the Theatre and the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos to the West. Exiting the Acropolis by the North Gate there are the remains of the earliest ancient walls, the Heroon and the Altar of Lycourgos, whereas to the East there is the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia. To the North is the Monastic Church of Osios Nikonas.
The "Tomb of Leonidas", or Leonidaion, is a limestone structure of the late 5th century BC, likely a temple, but named for Leonidas I in the 19th century, being the only ancient monument indicated within the limits of the newly planned town in 1834.

Museums

  • Archaeological Museum of Sparta
  • The Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in the South West end highlights the culture of the olive and the technology of olive production, 129 Othonos–Amalias Street
  • Archaeological Museum of Mystras, founded by Gabriel Lilianthal in the late 19th century
  • The Manousakeio Museum of urban and folk life
  • Koumantareios Art Gallery of Sparta
  • Angakis Art Gallery

    Sports

The Spartathlon has taken place every September since 1983. It is an ultramarathon starting in Athens and finishing in Sparta at the statue of Leonidas, with many international participants.
The local football club of Sparta, Laconia was Sparta F.C. The club dissolved in 2019.

People

Sparta is twinned with: