ProgramEZD
Administrator foruma
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 113
Location: Ljubljana |
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 Municipality of Kastoria (Greece) is looking for partners |
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Kastoria is a dynamic municipality with rapid development which main priority represents the constant improvement of the quality of life and services provided to its citizens. As a local self- government unit; the municipality executes public tasks and provides services in the fields of education, culture, safety, social welfare etc. to its 35.797 citizens (estimated population according to 2001 census).
The Municipality is located in northern Greece at the west end of Western Macedonia, bordering with Albania, to the west. It is connected by air, through the “Aristotelis” International Airport at Argos Orestiko and by road via Egnatia Highway. The city of Kastoria unfolds amphitheatrically 620 metres above sea level, built on a peninsula that penetrates Orestiada Lake, in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains.
History: Kastoria is believed to have ancient origins; it has been identified with the ancient town of Celetrum, which the Romans captured in 200 BC. The Byzantine historian Procopius records that it was later renamed Justinianopolis. The town's strategic position led to it being contested between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian Empire since the 9th century and later the Despotate of Epirus during the 13th century. Around 1385, the Ottoman Empire conquered Kastoria which remained under Ottoman rule until the First Balkan War (1912), when Greece took Kastoria. The 1913 treaties of London and Bucharest incorporated Kastoria into the Greek state.
Economy: Kastoria is one of the most important centres for the production, processing and trading of furs, worldwide, and the specific industry constitutes the main economic activity of the city’s inhabitants for many years. The art of producing furs was developed in the Byzantine times, probably when the first artisans from Kastoria learned this art in Constantinople. For five hundred years and now; fur processing takes place in the same traditional way as a work of high art and technique inherited from one generation to the other. Leathers are taken by small animals bred inside and outside Greece and through a combination of special skills, patches are matched and sewed. Since 1976, The Fur Manufacturers’ Association of Kastoria holds, every spring, the Annual International Fur Fair at the Fur Exhibition – Auction House of Kastoria, which is one of the most important fur fairs internationally and a major commercial event for Western Macedonia. The long tradition, excellent quality and international connections that have been developed over the years, make fur industry one of the most important exportation sectors of the country as well as an extremely productive field for national economy. After the troubles that this sector encountered in the recent years, it now tries to take advantage of the favourable market conditions, to approach new markets and to take advantage of new challenges.
Other prevalent industries include the agricultural sector. The main cultivated areas are located around the lake and the plateau of Upper Aliakmonas River and the main agricultural products are cereals, legumes, apples and vegetables. The apples as well as the beans of Kastoria have been classified as protected geographic mark products.
Environment: The lake of Kastoria is directly linked to the character, history and development of the city. It has been classified as “Monument of Natural Beauty” by the Ministry of Culture and it has been integrated in the European Network “Nature 2000”. It covers an area of about 28 square kilometres and its maximum depth is 9.5 metres. It is a wetland of great importance for both aquatic and predator birds as it preserves a rich bird fauna – about 200 species – including rare and endangered species, protected by international and national law. Apart from the large number of birds inhabiting the lake, it is the only lake in Greece where one meets an important area of lakeside forests of hydrophilic trees, consisting one of the most rare habitats in Europe. The lake of Kastoria is the second most productive lake in Greece in terms of fishing. The fish species inhabiting the lake are the following: carp, perch, chub, tench, wells, muskellunge, roach and butterfly ray.
Culture: Kastoria is known for its many Byzantine churches and its characteristic Ottoman-era domestic architecture. It is an important religious centre for the Greek Orthodox Church which originally had 72 Byzantine and medieval churches dating back to the 9th and the 14th century, 54 of which have survived. They are built inside and outside the city walls and they are masterpieces of Byzantine art. Some of these have been restored and provide useful insight into trends in Late Byzantine styles of architecture and fresco painting. They are classified as three-aisled vaulted basilicas, longitudinal hall churches with wooden roof and more rarely as domed triconch church. Their wall structure is very characteristic made of stones that are surrounded by mud-bricks, as well as mud decorative elements, usually representing suns, circles and monograms. The most famous church is Panagia Koumbelidiki, built in the first half of the 11th century and named from its characteristic dome, which is called “koumbes” in Turkish. Moreover the city is filled with old manors dating to the Ottoman period, while parts of the old Byzantine walls also stand. They were built in the 17th and 18th century and they are the indisputable witnesses of the economic and artistic prosperity of that time, when the furriers expanded their activities outside the borders of the country. These typical examples of traditional architecture are three-storeyed or four-storeyed, depending on the ground inclination and they have gardens and patios, high fences, closed balconies and windows with banisters. In the city there is also the Museum of Byzantine History which houses many examples of Byzantine iconography.
As far as youth and cultural activities are concerned, Municipality of Kastoria supports the Local Youth Council as well as many cultural associations and institutions for elderly people. Many cultural events and activities take place in the city during the whole year focusing on the promotion of local culture and heritage.
Municipality’s Structure and experience in EU programmes: The organisational structure of the municipality consists of two Directorates, one of administrative and economic services and one of technical services. In addition the municipality operates an independent Office of EU Programmes Management and Informatics as well as a Local Police Department. The authority is staffed by 297 employees of all ranks and branches, permanent scientific personnel of relative expertise including economic, geotechnical and technical sciences as well as administrative employees.
Kastoria has great experience in successful implementation of EU-funded projects such as Regional Operational Programme of West Macedonia 2000-2006, Europe for Citizens Programme, Operational Neighbourhood Programme INTERREG IIIA Greece-Albania 2000-2006 and Community initiative INTERREG II 1994-1999. Since March 2009 the municipality has certified capacity in the management of co-funded projects (certified management adequacy types A and B under greek law).
In order to strengthen its friendly bonds with other municipalities and exchange experiences in a number of issues Kastoria is town-twinned with cities all around the world. Namely it is town-twinned with Paralimni in Cyprus, Plovdiv in Bulgaria, Kiev in Ukraine and Haining in China. Kastoria also participates in the Network of Balkan cities with historical centres and recently took part in a workshop called Eurolakes concerning a network of twinned cities for european lakes.
Contact Information:
Full Name of the Organization: MUNICIPALITY OF KASTORIA (DIMOS KASTORIAS)
Address: Skaperdio Dhmotiko Megaro, PC 52100, Kastoria, Greece
Email: info@kastoriacity.gr
Website: www.kastoriacity.gr
Telephone: 0030 24673 51100
Fax: 0030 24670 22451
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Best regards,
Slovenian Information Office for Europe for Citizens Programme
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