Kryoneri, Olympia

Kryoneri (Greek: Κρυονέρι, before 1928: Μπάστα - Basta) is a little village near Olympia, Elis, Greece. It is situated on the southwestern edge of the Foloi oak forest. It is 2 km south of Neraida, 4 km west of Doukas, 3 km east of Chelidoni and 9 km northeast of Olympia. Its population in 2001 was 264.

Population

History

The old name for Kryoneri, Basta (still used in the region), is Italian. The Venetians planted olives, and built the partially finished Venetian castle in Kionia.

The Black Death (1347–1350), along with malaria, devastated much of Elis' population. All inhabitants of the villages Basta, Kaloletsi (now Neraida) and Milies had died. After the plague 10,000 Orthodox Christian Albanians settled in the area, invited by Despot of the Morea Manuel Kantakouzenos. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the people from Basta spoke both Greek and Arvanitika. In 1928 the name of the village was changed to the present Kryoneri ("cold water"), a signal that Arvanitika was no longer widely spoken. The children of Basta no longer learn or speak Albanian.