Amaliada (, Katharevousa: Ἀμαλιάς, Amaliás) is a town and a former municipality in northwestern Elis, in the West Greece Region of Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ilida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 251.945 km2. It is near the archaeological site of Elis, the city-state whose territory was the site of the ancient Olympic Games. It is situated in the plains of Elis, 6 km from the Ionian Sea. It is 10 km southeast of Gastouni, 16 km northwest of Pyrgos and 60 km southwest of Patras.
Amaliada was named after Queen Amalia of Greece in the 1830s, and formed by merging two communes, Kalitsa and Dervitselepi. It features a city square with pine trees and a fountain. Most of the streets are in grid order running almost due north, south, east, and west. On the east side, Amaliada has a public sports stadium (mainly used for soccer). The hospital and the monastery of Frangavilla are in the southeast. Amaliada has a train station on the line from Patras to Pyrgos. A street in Amaliada's west side is named Hiroshima in memory of the victims of the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima at the end of World War II. Kourouta and Palouki are the beaches of Amaliada, about 6 km southwest of the town centre.
Population history
Year Community Municipal unit 1981 15,248 - 1991 15,232 - 2001 20,259 31,542 2011 18,303 28,520 2021 18,223 26,315
Subdivisions The municipal unit Amaliada is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets): Agios Dimitrios (Agios Dimitrios, Kolokythas) Agios Ilias Amaliada (Amaliada, Agios Ioannis, Kourouta, Marathea, Palouki, Panagia, Tsafleika, Tsichleika) Ampelokampos Archaia Ilida Avgeio Chavari (Chavari, Agios Georgios, Pera Chavari) Dafni (Dafni, Kalathas) Dafniotissa Douneika (Douneika, Agia Marina, Danika, Kato Kertezaiika) Geraki (Geraki, Analipsi) Kalyvia Ilidos Kardamas (Kardamas, Petroules) Kentro Keramidia Kryonero Peristeri (Peristeri, Asteraiika, Palaiolanthi) Roviata (Roviata, Kasidiaris, Paralia, Romeika) Savalia Sosti
Sporting teams Amaliada is the seat of Koroivos which plays in A1 Ethniki. The town also hosts the football team Asteras Amaliada F.C. with earlier presence in Gamma Ethniki. Sport clubs based in AmaliadaClubFoundedSportsAchievements Asteras Amaliada F.C.1947 Football Earlier presence in Gamma EthnikiKoroivos Amaliadas1983 Basketball, Volleyball Presence in A1 Ethniki Basketball
Notable people Nikos Beloyannis (1915–1952), communist and resistance leader Mitsos Alexandropoulos (1924–2008), writer Panos Karnezis (1967- ), writer Yovanna (1940- ), singer and author Angeliki Skarlatou (1973- ), sailor Rallis (1994- ), Airman
Twin towns — sister cities Amaliada is twinned with: Edremit, Turkey since 2000 Sister/Twin Cities of Balıkesir Province
See also Kourouta List of settlements in Elis
References