Rio, Greece

Geography

Rion is the northernmost municipal unit of the Peloponnese peninsula. It stretches along the southeastern coast of the Gulf of Patras, about 7 km northeast of Patras city centre. The nearby Strait of Rio, crossed by the Rio–Antirrio bridge, separates the Gulf of Patras from the Gulf of Corinth to the east. The town is dominated by the Panachaiko mountain to the southeast.

Town layout

The town centre is also known as Agios Georgios Riou. This is where the Rio railway station, on the line from Patras to Corinth, is located. The quarter Kastellokampos lies to the southwest of the centre. The ferry terminals, with services to Antirrio, are in the north, on both sides of the Rio–Antirrio bridge. There is a large fortress with bastions next to the bridge. The campus of the University of Patras and the hospital lie in the southeast, across the Greek National Road 8A. There are sandy beaches along the coast, and a port north of town centre.

Subdivisions

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

• Agios Vasileios
• Aktaio
• Ano Kastritsi
• Arachovitika (Arachovitika, Kato Arachovitika)
• Argyra
• Drepano
• Kato Kastritsi (Kato Kastritsi, Magoula)
• Pititsa
• Platani
• Psathopyrgos (Psathopyrgos, Kato Rodini)
• Rio
• Sella

History

The name Rio (and its older form Rhion) derives from the Greek ῥίον (rhion), generally meaning "jutting part", perhaps from ῥίς (rhis), meaning "nose", but also "spur of land". The earliest attested form of the word is the Mycenaean Greek 𐀪𐀍, ri-jo, written in Linear B syllabic script.

The site of Rio has been a strategic point since antiquity. Early 19th century, there stood an old Turkish castle (the "Castle of the Morea") at the cape, with a small settlement outside its walls.

Government

The mayors of the municipality were:

• Vasileios Zervas (1998–2006)
• Christos Liakopoulos (2006–2010)

Population

Transport

Road

Highway 8 (Elefsina - Rio) passes through from Rio. It is also the terminus of National Road 8 (Old National Road Athens-Corinth-Patras). The town is served by urban transport buses with lines 6 and 9 and the Patras Suburban Railway, via the "Rio" stop & the " Kastellokampos - University/Hospital" bus line .

Rail

Rio Railway Station, opened as a station in 1887 and since 2010 served by the local trains to Agios Andreas and Patras by Suburban Railway of Patras. Rio Station is currently under reconstruction as part of the construction of the new Athens-Patras railway line, which (when finished) will connect the area with Athens. In order to ensure these needs, a new temporary station has been operating since 26 March 2019, at the height of Zaimi & Iroon Polytechneiou streets.

Gallery

View of panagopoulou road and mountains, Rio, Greece.jpg|Neighborhood and Panachaiko mountain Rio railway station, Achaia.JPG|Train station University of Patras Hospital and department of medicine.jpg|Hospital and bridge Library (BYP) - University of Patras.JPG|University library FestungRio.jpg|Castle University cemetery in Rio, Greece.jpg|Cemetery

References

References

1. "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities". [[Government Gazette (Greece).
2. "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)". National Statistical Service of Greece.
3. {{LSJ. r(i/on. ῥίον. ref.
4. {{LSJ. r(i/s. ῥίς. shortref.
5. Raymoure, K.A.. "The Linear B word ri-jo}} {{cite web". Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of ancient languages.
6. Leake, William Martin. (1830). "Travels in the Morea, Volume 2". [[John Murray (publishing house).
7. (24 March 2019). "Πάτρα: Μεταφέρεται ο σταθμός του Προαστιακού στο Ρίο – Πώς διαμορφώνονται τα δρομολόγια".