Milies

For other uses, see Milies (disambiguation).

Milies Μηλιές
Location
Milies
Coordinates	39°19.7′N 23°9′E / 39.3283°N 23.15°E / 39.3283; 23.15Coordinates: 39°19.7′N 23°9′E / 39.3283°N 23.15°E / 39.3283; 23.15
Location within the peripheral unit
Government
Country:	Greece
Region:	Thessaly
Regional unit:	Magnesia
Municipality:	South Pelion
Population statistics (as of 2001)
Municipal unit
- Population:	3,100
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation:	100 m ­(328 ft)
Postal:	370 06
Telephone:	24230
Auto:	ΒΟ

Milies (Greek: Μηλιές) is a village and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality South Pelion, of which it is a municipal unit.^[1] It is a traditional Greek mountain village, at a height of 400 m on Mount Pelion. It is 28 km from Volos, the capital city of Magnesia. Milies is connected with the GR-34A (Volos - Promyri) It has traditional stone houses, cobbled roads, good restaurants and accommodation in abundance. Milies is also notable for being the terminus of the narrow gauge (60 cm) Pelion Railway, built between 1895 and 1903 by the Italian engineer, Evaristo de Chirico, father of the famous artist Giorgio de Chirico. This proved to be of considerable economic advantage to the region. The recently railway runs between Ano Lechonia and Milies twice a week at the weekend. The village commands striking views across the Pagasetic Gulf and benefits from the many streams and water sources for which Mt. Pelion is renowned. These result in rich vegetation and cool, forested mountain slopes.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Milies is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets):

Traditional building of Milies.

2-4-0 Tubize steam engine in the train station of Milies.

• Agios Georgios Nileias (Agios Georgios Nileias, Agia Triada, Ano Gatzea, Dyo Revmata, Kato Gatzea)
• Kala Nera
• Milies (Milies, Koropi, Stavrodromi)
• Pinakates (Pinakates, Agios Athanasios)
• Vyzitsa (Vyzitsa, Argyreika)

Nearest places

• Koropi
• Kala Nera, southwest
• Ano Lechonia, northwest
• Stavrodromoi

Population

Year	Municipality population	Village population	Municipal district population
1981	-	-	1,102
1991	3,737	-	952
2001	3,513	636	1,056

Geography

The Pelion mountains dominate the area, the valley covers the central part. Farmlands are adjacent to the village, which produces fruits, olives and vegetables.

History

The town was founded by people fleeing pirate attacks on Milies on the island of Euboea. The town was constructed inland and while the sea can be seen from the village, the community cannot be seen from the sea.

Anthimos Gazis and Grigorios Konstantas opened the school "Psychis Akos" in 1814 which is now a library with books and historic features. Milies was the first community of Pelion which saw the Greek War of Independence of 1821. Magnesia lost the battle and did not join the Greek Kingdom until 1881.

When Milies and the area became part of Greece in 1881, the Ottomans left the area.

Landmarks

The towns features a church known as Agios Taxiarchos which was built in 1741.

Notable people

• Anthimos Gazis (1758-1828), scholar of the Greek Enlightenment
• Grigorios Konstantas (1753-1844)
• Daniel Philippidis (ca. 1750-1832)

Sister cities

• Lapithos, Cyprus
• Bălţi, Moldova

References

1. ^ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)

External links

• Milies on GTP Travel Pages

See also

• List of settlements in the Magnesia prefecture