View source for Kapsas

{{other uses}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2011}}
{{Infobox Greek Dimos
  |name = Kapsas
  |name_local = Κάψας
|type = community
|periph = [[Peloponnese (region)|Peloponnese]]
|periphunit         = [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]]
|municipality = [[Tripoli, Greece|Tripoli]]
|municunit = [[Mantineia]]
|pop_community = 252
  |population_as_of = 2021
  |area = 
  |elevation = 700 
  |coordinates = {{coord|37|37|N|22|21|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
  |postal_code = 221 00
  |area_code = 2710
  |licence = TP
  |website = 
 |image_skyline      = Ιερός Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου (Κάψια Αρκαδίας).jpg
 |caption_skyline    = 
}}
'''Kapsas''' ({{langx|el|Κάψας}}, also Κάψια ''Kapsia'') is a community in the municipal unit of [[Mantineia]] in [[Arcadia (regional unit)|Arcadia]] on the [[Peloponnese]] peninsula in southern [[Greece]]. It is situated in a valley east of the [[Mainalo]] mountains, at 700 m elevation. It is 9&nbsp;km southeast of [[Levidi]], 11&nbsp;km west of [[Nestani]] and 12&nbsp;km north of [[Tripoli, Greece|Tripoli]]. The [[Greek National Road 74]] ([[Pyrgos, Elis|Pyrgos]] - Tripoli) passes through the village.

==Historical population==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year !! Population 
|-
| 1981 || 581  
|-
| 1991 || 460  
|-
| 2001 || 505 
|-
| 2011 || 389
|-
| 2021 || 252
|}

==History==
During [[World War II]], and after the [[Armistice between Italy and Allied armed forces|capitulation of Italy]], Greece was [[Axis occupation of Greece during World War II|occupied by Nazi Germany]]. Villagers of Kapsas helped an Italian soldier named Salvatore hide from the Germans and return to his native Italy. Statues of the school teacher Ioannis Orfanos, his wife and his brother have been erected near the village church in memory of their aid.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}

==Attractions==

The village church of Saint Nicholas possesses a precious icon, donated by the Moscow Patriarchate.{{citation needed|date=February 2012}}

The Cave of Kapsia is situated 1 kilometer from the village Kapsia, at the southwest edge of the plain of ancient Mantineia. It is part of a system of active and inactive [[Ponor|sinks (ponors)]] (Greek: katavothra "Καταβόθρα"). In front of the entrance are three ponors. Inside the cave human bone material has been found, according to some researchers from people who drowned during floods in the cave. The cave was used by man during the Neolithic, Hellenistic period and the fourth to sixth century AD.<ref>[http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/2/gh251.jsp?obj_id=9903 odysseus.culture.gr] Presentation of the cave by the Ministry of Culture {{in lang|el}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of settlements in Arcadia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.herbert-thiess.de/Kapsia/Index.html Kapsia Cave : Exploration of a Sinkhole in Arkadia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612014206/http://www.herbert-thiess.de/Kapsia/Index.html |date=2021-06-12 }}
*[http://www.kapsia.site40.net Kapsia History : History of the village Kapsia of Arkadia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422113305/http://www.kapsia.site40.net/ |date=2012-04-22 }}

{{Mantineia}}

[[Category:Populated places in Arcadia, Peloponnese]]
[[Category:Tripoli, Greece]]