Spata (Greek: Σπάτα) is a town 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of downtown Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Spata-Artemida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.[2] The municipal unit (officially named Spata-Loutsa) has an area of 55.042 km2.[3] It is part of the Athens metropolitan area.
Geography and economy
Spata is situated in the middle of the Mesogeia plain, east of Mount Hymettus and west of the Aegean Sea coast. Athens International Airport ("Eleftherios Venizelos") covers the eastern portion of Spata. It is located southeast of Pallini, southwest of Rafina, west of Artemida and about 22 kilometres (14 mi) east south east of Athens city center.
The town proper is made up of residential neighborhoods. Farmland, mostly vineyards and olive groves, lie around. Retsina wine was the traditional cash crop of the whole area, complemented with olives and olive oil, figs, almonds, pistachios, and wheat. Nowadays viticulture is dwindling as a mass occupation, albeit supplanted by the emergence of many modern wineries that mostly specialize in vinifying the local Savatiano grape. The bulk of the grape and wine business is handled by the local co-operative. In 1995, the southern portion was committed to construction of the new Athens International Airport, which was completed in March 2001. The Attica Zoological Park, or "Attica Zoo", opened in May 2001 and is Athens' and Greece's largest zoo.
Spata has five kindergartens, three elementary schools, two secondary schools, a police station, Post Office, several bank offices, and a junior football/soccer team, Aittitos (Invincible). The training facilities of AEK FC are also located there.
The municipal unit of Spáta also incorporates various small exurbs: Agía Kyriakí, Neápoli, Ágios Ioánnis, Velanidiá, Christoúpolis, Foínikas, Étos Stéko, Ágios Nikólaos Boúra, and Ímeros Péfkos.
History
The area included the ancient Athenian demes of Erkhiá (Ερχιά), the birthplace of the historian and general Xenophon, and Kýthēros (Κύθηρος); a Mycenean cemetery was excavated at the southern edge of town by Panagiotis Stamatakis in the 1870s, the exhibits being hosted in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Evidence of small ancient settlements abound in the area, the most notable being the Neolithic fortified settlement on Zágani hill. Several of these were excavated during works for the airport and are being exhibited in the main airport building.
Since the Middle Ages, Spata has been inhabited mainly by Arvanites. The town (then village) was re-populated by the medieval Tosk Albanian clan of Spata around the 15th century, after they emigrated from Epirus. It was named after John Spata, who was despot of Arta in the 14th century.[4] His name derives from Albanian shpatë (def. and pl. shpata).[5]
The patron saints of the town are Peter and Paul, celebrated on July 29 at the Byzantine chapel of the same name, located near the eastern edge of the town. The feast is accompanied by the medieval custom of the distribution of the stifado, a beef-and-onions stew cooked overnight in cauldrons and distributed to the faithful outside the chapel after Mass.
^Jochalas, Titos P. (1971): Über die Einwanderung der Albaner in Griechenland: Eine zusammenfassene Betrachtung ["On the immigration of Albanians to Greece: A summary"]. München: Trofenik. p. 26
^"Travelair Club -> Partners Terms and Conditions." (Archive) Olympic Air. Retrieved on 6 April 2013. Under "Delta Air Lines" tab: "It is clarified that, boarding pass as well as original ticket must be forwarded as evidence to the following mail address : Olympic Air, Travelair Club department, Athens International Airport, Building 57, 190 19, Spata, Greece." - Greek (Archive): "Olympic Air, Τμήμα Travelair Club, Διεθνής αερολιμένας Αθηνών, Κτίριο 57, Τ.Κ. 190 19, Σπάτα – Αττικής."
^"Contact" (Archive). Vivartia. Retrieved on 6 June 2014. "GOODY’S S.A. – everest A.E. International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos Building 14B, 19019 – Spata – Attica" - Address in Greek (Archive): "GOODY’S A.E. - everest A.E. Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών «Ελ. Βενιζέλος» Κτίριο 14B, 19019 – Σπάτα Αττικής"
^"Contact Us." (Archive) Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board. Retrieved on 20 June 2011. "Address for Correspondence & Unit Address: AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND AVIATION SAFETY BOARD Ex American Base Building 221, Helliniko Athens 167 01 GREECE" and "Board Address: AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND AVIATION SAFETY BOARD Athens International Airport “El. Venizelos” Building 11, Office 1311 Spata 190 19 GREECE" – Addresses in Greek (Archive): "Διεύθυνση Αλληλογραφίας και Έδρα Μονάδας: ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΗΣΗΣ ΑΤΥΧΗΜΑΤΩΝ & ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑΣ ΠΤΗΣΕΩΝ Πρώην Αμερικάνικη Βάση, Κτίριο 221, Ελληνικό, 167 01 ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ" and "Έδρα Επιτροπής: ΕΠΙΤΡΟΠΗ ΔΙΕΡΕΥΝΗΣΗΣ ΑΤΥΧΗΜΑΤΩΝ & ΑΣΦΑΛΕΙΑΣ ΠΤΗΣΕΩΝ Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών, Κτίριο 11, Γραφείο 1311 190 19 ΣΠΑΤΑ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ" – Also "Address for Correspondence & investigation Unit Address" (Elliniko) and "Board office at Athens Airport" (Spata) – Greek: "Μονάδα Διερευνήσεων Στο Ελληνικό" and "Γραφεία Επιτροπής στο ΔΑΑ (Σπάτα)", respectively
