Mantzavinata

Mantzavinata Μαντζαβινάτα
Mantzavinata
Coordinates: 38°10.7′N 20°24.5′E / 38.1783°N 20.4083°E / 38.1783; 20.4083Coordinates: 38°10.7′N 20°24.5′E / 38.1783°N 20.4083°E / 38.1783; 20.4083
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Ionian Islands
Regional unit	Kefalonia
Municipality	Lixouri
Municipal unit	Paliki
Elevation	80 m (260 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Rural	220
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registration	KE

Mantzavinata from Hagia Sophia church

A pre-earthquake villa at the entrance of Mantzavinata

The Maspali hill during winter

Mantzavinata (Greek: Μαντζαβινάτα) is a village in the southwest of Kefalonia island, Greece, where the famous Mantzavino Wine is sold. Mantzavinata is 4 km southwest of Lixouri on the Paliki peninsula. Mantzavinata has three churches and a small square called Lemonata. A wine festival is held each August in Mantzavinata.

Geography[]

Mantzavinata is surrounded by hills, many covered with groves. Farming and agriculture are the main industry in Mantzavinata, although due to the nearby beaches, tourism also plays a significant part in the economy. Together with the smaller village Vouni and the islet of , it forms the community of .

History[]

The Maspali hill was perhaps an ancient acropolis. At Vazza, a Roman mosaic was found and is displayed today at the Archaeological Museum of Kefalonia. Two of the three churches are original structures from the 17th century.

Until the 1940s, Mantzavinata was an important centre of wine and raisin production. World War II, and the complete destruction of the village in the 1953 Ionian earthquake increased emigration. It took until the mid-1950s to rebuild the village.

The former farmland around Mantzavinata is popular for house building. Today many families built also their new homes outside of the center near the beaches Xi and Mania. This new settlement is also known as .

Name[]

The name 'Mantzavinata' comes from the Italian words mangiare (eat) and vino (wine), -ata is the typical ending for places in Kefalonia. Mantzavinata had several persons with the surname Mantzavinos/Mantzavinatos, one of whom founded a subdivision in Patras known as Mantzavineika. Another founded the Mantzavinateio Hospital in Lixouri.

Population[]

See also[]

• List of settlements in Cephalonia

External links[]

• Website of the cultural association Mantzavinata & Vouni: "I Kounopetra"
• Katogi on GTP Travel Pages
• Historical Photos of Mantzavinata on Europeana.eu

References[]