Ampelakia is a coastal town of the Municipality of Salamina. They are built on the east coast of the island of Salamina, between Cape Punta to the north and the opposite ledge of the northern coast of the Kynosoura peninsula, in the bay and port of the island of the same name. Designation The original name of the settlement was Ambelaki because of the large number of vines. Before the Second World War it was renamed to its current name. There seems to be some confusion as to whether Ampelakia was named Phoenix in the 1950s, since the settlement that was renamed was the Ampelakia Refugee Settlement, established after the Asia Minor Catastrophe. Administrative changes In 1912, the settlement of Ampelaki was established for the first time as the seat of a community of the prefecture of Attica and Boeotia, to which Kamatero was attached. In 1920 the community of Seleni was created and annexed to the community of Ampelaki, while in 1928 the settlements of Agia Ypapanti and Agia Trias - Shipyards were recognized. In 1940, the settlement of Ampelaki and the community were renamed to Ampelakia and the community of Ampelakia, respectively, and the now-recognized Refugee Settlement of Ampelakia joined it. In the same year, the settlements of Agia Ypapanti and Agia Trias - Shipyards are abolished. In 1954, the Refugee Settlement was renamed Phoenix to be abolished in 1961, as was the Kamatero settlement at the same time. In 1964 the community was included in the Megaridos district of the Piraeus prefecture, while in 1971 it was recognized as a settlement and Kynosoura was included in the community. In 1972 the community was included in the prefecture of Attica and in 1981 the settlement of Spithari was recognized and included. In 1997, with the Kapodistrias plan, the settlement became the seat of the Municipality of Ampelakia with a population of 7,060 inhabitants (census 2001). Since 2010, the municipality has been united with the Kapodistrian Municipality of Salamina, according to the Kallikratis plan, forming the only municipality of the island. Municipal Community The municipal community of Ampelakia is classified as a semi-mountainous rural settlement, with an area of 7,425 sq.m (2011). History On the coast of the bay was the ancient city of the island of Salamina, on the northern side of Kynosoura. Point at which, according to Herodotus, the Greek fleet anchored before the famous Battle of Salamis. After the desolation of the ancient city of the classical times, the life of the island's inhabitants becomes precarious due to the intensive raids of the Roman conquerors on the coast. Thus, life in Salamina is shifted to areas of primary production, such as Perani, Kaki Vigla, Kanakia, Mulki and especially in the wider area of Zoodochos Pigi. According to D. I. Pallas, the area of the ancient city was called 'Ampelaki' many centuries later due to the existence of sparse viticulture. After the Melissani revolution (1571-1573), which took place in the wider region of Argonauflia, Ampelaki will receive an organized settlement by Arvanites coming from the parts of Ermionida. This settlement was organized by the then governor of Attica and the Saronic Islands, Ulouts Ali. He transported Arvanites from the Peloponnese, where they had created many problems for the Turks. The settlement of Ampelaki in the 17th century did not exceed a few dozen houses and had developed around the medieval tower and the small church of Saint John the Theologian. This settlement was surrounded by a strong wall, of a defensive nature, part of which is preserved today in Ampelaki as a wall integrated into a house. During the pre-revolutionary times, Ampelaki was under the administrative supervision of the Koulouri democracy. Several people from Ampelaki had left Ampelaki and had temporarily settled in Koulouri, due to the insecurity prevailing from the raids of Turkish and Christian pirates. With the outbreak of the Greek revolution and the raising of the revolutionary flag on the island, on April 10, 1821, the people of Ampelaki will take active action against the Turks. In fact, in Ampelaki, the then Revolutionary Command of the Greeks had installed a Military Hospital, with the Bavarian chief doctor, Errico Traiber, who even received the body of G. Karaiskakis in the bay of the area. This hospital treated hundreds of wounded and played a leading role in the course of the Uprising. In 1824 the English philhellene, colonel Stanhope, proposed to Georgios Psyllas (1794-1878), a scholar and politician, originally from Ambelaki on his mother's side, to publish the first newspaper in Athens, which was called 'Efimeris of of Athens'. The first two pages of this newspaper were printed in Ampelaki, due to the attack of Kioutachis on Athens, which forced Psyllas to move the printing office there. Ampelaki, therefore, was lucky enough to experience this prominent publishing activity and it is probable that the printing press was established in the home of the Kalogiannis or in the hospital of Errikos Treiber, since it was the only building in common victory and public character. With the establishment of the modern Greek state and with the suppression of piracy by Ioannis Kapodistrias, the once reduced feeling of security gave way to confidence. The contribution of the Ambelakiots to the maintenance of the Kapodistrian policy can be seen from a congratulatory letter sent to them by the governor himself, which is today in the Historical Archive of Hydra. Many Ampelakios, drawn by the economic prosperity of Piraeus, will engage in the lucrative profession of the seafarer and mainly in the transit trade. Thus, they become captains and sailors and travel from the coasts of Asia Minor, Macedonia, Thrace, the Black Sea to the ports of France and Austria. They mainly transported Russian wheat, coffee, sugar, cotton, textiles, iron, wines, timber, foodstuffs, oil, tobacco, pulses and others. From 1880 onwards, the great fortunes of Ambelaki sailors begin to form and transit trade, through the sea routes with their sailing ships, will be the driving force of the entire economic development of Ambelaki. The financial power acquired by many Ampelaki shipowners is reflected in their decision to erect in 1887 an imposing parish church, the "Entry of the Virgin", and, in addition, it can be seen from the houses they built at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. These gave prestige, prestige and wider social acceptance to the owners with the glamor they exuded. Other Ampelakiites -land dwellers- engaged in trade, opened shops, cafes, taverns and shops. Thus was created the Agora (today it is called the Old Agora), essentially a narrow street that surrounded the entire settlement around the medieval tower with countless shops, many of which today, unfortunately, have been demolished or are in ruins. The fall as well as the decline of the Old Market of Ampelaki occurred during the German occupation, when all the sailing ships of the locals were commandeered and especially, when the conquerors at the end of the Second World War torpedoed them inside the ancient port. Sights The Naidrio of Agios Petros: It is a cross-roofed naidrio of a simple style from the 16th century. It is chronologically connected with the settlement of the Arvanite settlers of Argonauflia at the end of the above century. It was outside the city limits of Ampelaki. Today, the anarchic housing construction has surrounded it with many houses. It is built with scattered architectural elements that once abounded in Ampelaki. Ypapantoula: It is a simple church with a gabled roof. It was probably built in the 17th century. Karaiskakis attended this little church shortly before he passed away in 1827. It is built on the ruins of a probably Roman building. The Tomb of the Salaminomachians: Excavations carried out in the area of the cape of Kynosoura showed that there is a tomb belonging to the dead of the Naval Battle of Salamis (480 BC). The archaeological site of the Tomb of Kynosoura is of significant archaeological importance since there are many ruins and foundations on it. Polychronis Lembesis, who came from Salamis, among others, painted the "Nativity" in the Church of the Entry of the Virgin in the Vineyards of Salamis and the "Platytera of the Heavens" (where the austerity and modesty of the infant Virgin Mary can be seen) and the virginal virginity of the two angels who surround her with their beautiful philology. This point of interest is coastal and urban. Suitable Visiting Season: All year round. It is not accessible by public transport. There is no cost or ticket. Visiting hours: Free. Source of photographic material: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%AC%CE%BA%CE%B9% CE%B1_%CE%A3%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%BD%CE%B1%CF%82