View source for Thessaly

{{Short description|Administrative region of Greece}}
{{about|the historical and geographical region of Greece|the ancient region|Ancient Thessaly|the Vertigo Comics character|Thessaly (comics)}}
{{redirect|Thessalia|the namesake butterfly genus|Chlosyne{{!}}''Chlosyne''}}
{{redirect|Thessalian|the ancient Thessalian dialect|Aeolic Greek}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Thessaly
| native_name        = {{native name|el|Θεσσαλία}}
| image_blank_emblem = 
| blank_emblem_type  = 
| image_map          = Thessalia in Greece.svg
| map_caption        = Thessaly within Greece
| established_title  = Cession
| established_date   = 1881
| coordinates        = {{coord|39.6|22.2|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Greece}}
| subdivision_type1  = Decentralized Administration
| subdivision_name1  = [[Decentralized Administration of Thessaly and Central Greece|Thessaly and Central Greece]]
| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Larissa]]
| seat1_type         = Port city
| seat1              = [[Volos]]
| parts_type         = [[regional units of Greece|Regional units]]
| parts_style        = list
| p1                 = [[Karditsa (regional unit)|Karditsa]]
| leader_party       = {{nowrap|[[Syriza]]}}
| leader_title       = Governor
| leader_name        = {{interlanguage link|Dimitris Kouretas|el|Δημήτρης Κουρέτας}}
| area_total_km2     = 14036.64
| population_total   = 688255
| population_as_of   = 2021
| population_footnotes = <ref name="2021census">{{cite press release |title=Census 2021 GR|url=https://elstat-outsourcers.statistics.gr/Census2022_GR.pdf|publisher=[[Hellenic Statistical Authority]]|date=2022-07-19|access-date=2022-09-12}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_demonym = [[wikt:Thessalian|Thessalian]]
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{citation|title=Population on 1 January by age, sex and NUTS 2 region|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/DEMO_R_D2JAN/default/table?lang=en|website=www.ec.europa.eu}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Total
| demographics2_info1 = €9.337 billion (2021)
| iso_code           = GR-E
| blank_name_sec2    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2022)
| blank_info_sec2    = 0.880<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2021-07-20}}</ref><br>{{color|#090|very high}} · [[List of Greek regions by Human Development Index|4th of 13]]
| website            = {{URL|http://www.pthes.gov.gr/}}
| type               = {{plainlist|
*[[Administrative regions of Greece|Administrative region of Greece]]
*[[Traditional geographic divisions of Greece|Traditional region of Greece]]}}
| p2                 = [[Larissa (regional unit)|Larissa]]
| p3                 = [[Magnesia (regional unit)|Magnesia]]
| p4                 = [[Trikala (regional unit)|Trikala]]
| p5                 = [[Sporades]]
| timezone           = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset         = +2
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +3
| official_name      = 
| anthem             = 
| image_flag         = 
}}

'''Thessaly''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|θ|ɛ|s|ə|l|i}} {{respell|THESS|ə|lee}}; {{langx|el|Θεσσαλία|translit=Thessalía}} {{IPA|el|θesaˈli.a|}}; ancient [[Aeolic Greek#Thessalian|Thessalian]]: {{lang|grc|Πετθαλία}}, {{Lang|grc-Latn|Petthalía}}) is a traditional [[geographic regions of Greece|geographic]] and modern [[administrative regions of Greece|administrative region]] of [[Greece]], comprising most of the [[ancient Thessaly|ancient region]] of the same name. Before the [[Greek Dark Ages]], Thessaly was known as '''Aeolia''' ({{Langx|grc|Αἰολία}}, {{Lang|grc-Latn|Aiolía}}), and appears in [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]''.

Thessaly [[Convention of Constantinople (1881)|became part]] of the [[modern Greek state]] in 1881, after four and a half centuries of [[Ottoman Greece|Ottoman rule]]. Since 1987 it has formed one of the country's 13 [[Modern regions of Greece|regions]]<ref>{{cite book |author=Π.Δ. |pages=51/87 |title=Καθορισμός των Περιφερειών της Χώρας για το σχεδιασμό κ.λ.π. της Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης |trans-title=Determination of the Regions of the Country for the planning etc. of the development of the regions |publisher=[[ΦΕΚ]] |date=March 6, 1987}}</ref> and is further (since the [[Kallikratis reform]] of 2011) sub-divided into five [[regional units of Greece|regional units]] and 25 [[municipalities of Greece|municipalities]]. The capital of the region is [[Larissa]]. Thessaly lies in northern central Greece and borders the regions of [[Macedonia (Greece)|Macedonia]] to the north, [[Epirus (region)|Epirus]] to the west, [[Central Greece (geographic region)|Central Greece]] to the south, and the [[Aegean Sea]] to the east. The Thessaly region also includes the [[Sporades]] islands.

==Name and etymology==
Thessaly is named after the ''Thessaloi'', an [[List of ancient Greek tribes|ancient Greek tribe]]. The meaning of the name of this tribe is unknown, and many theories have been made about its etymology. According to the Dutch linguist [[Robert S. P. Beekes]], the name predates Greek presence in the region and could come from the [[Pre-Greek substrate|Pre-Greek]] form reconstructed as *Kʷʰeťťal-.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://brill.com/view/title/17726|title=Etymological Dictionary of Greek|first=Robert|last=Beekes|author-link=Robert S. P. Beekes|publisher=[[Brill Publishers]]|year=2009|isbn=978-90-04-17418-4 |page=544}}</ref> The Greek linguist [[Georgios Babiniotis]] also assigns the origin of the name of the Thessalians to pre-Greek times, although he does not try to explain its etymology.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ετυμολογικό Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας|first=Georgios|last=Babiniotis|author-link=Georgios Babiniotis|publisher=Lexicology Centre|year=2009|language=el}}</ref> In [[Aromanian language|Aromanian]] it is referred to as {{lang|rup|Tesalia}}.<ref>[https://www.yumpu.com/it/document/read/8263324/farsharotu-30-tv-radio-makedonia ''Fârshârotu'' nr. 30]. p. 14.</ref>

== Mythology ==
In [[Homer]]'s epic, the ''[[Odyssey]]'', the hero [[Odysseus]] visited Aeolia, the kingdom of [[Aeolus (son of Hellen)|Aeolus]], which was the old name for Thessaly.<ref>For more, see: [[Homer]], [[Odyssey]], [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hom.+Od.+10.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136 10.1]</ref>

The [[Plain of Thessaly]], which lies between [[Mount Oeta]]/Othrys and [[Mount Olympus]], was the site of the [[Titanomachy|battle]] between the [[Titan (mythology)|Titans]] and the [[Twelve Olympians|Olympians]].<ref>[[Hesiod]], ''[[Theogony]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D617 630-631].</ref>

According to legend, [[Jason]] and the [[Argonauts]] launched their search for the [[Golden Fleece]] from the Magnesia Peninsula.

==History==
{{Main|History of Thessaly}}
[[File:Thessaly.jpg|thumb|Map of ancient Thessaly]]
[[File:Λάρισα, αρχαίο Θέατρο Α 1.jpg|thumb|The [[First Ancient Theatre, Larissa|first ancient theatre]] of [[Larissa]]. It was constructed inside the ancient city's centre during the reign of [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] towards the end of the 3rd century BC. The theatre was in use for six centuries, until the end of the 3rd century AD]]

===Ancient history===
{{Further|Ancient Thessaly|Roman Greece}}
Thessaly was home to extensive [[Neolithic]] and [[Chalcolithic]] cultures around 6000–2500 BC (see [[Cardium pottery]], [[Dimini]] and [[Sesklo]]). [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenaean]] settlements have also been discovered, for example at the sites of [[Iolcos]], [[Dimini]] and [[Sesklo]] (near [[Volos]]). In Archaic and  [[Classical Greece|Classical]] times, the lowlands of Thessaly became the home of baronial families, such as the [[Aleuadae]] of [[Larissa]] or the Scopads of Crannon.
 
In the summer of 480 BC, the [[Achaemenid Empire|Persians]] [[Second Persian invasion of Greece|invaded Thessaly]]. The Greek army that guarded the [[Vale of Tempe]] was alerted by [[Alexander I of Macedon]] and evacuated the road before the enemy arrived. Not much later, Thessaly surrendered to the Persians.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kk_jBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA59 |title=A Short History of Ancient Greece |access-date=December 24, 2014 |last=Rhodes |first=P.J. |publisher=[[I.B. Tauris]] |date=September 30, 2014 |page=59 |isbn=9781780765945}}</ref> The Thessalian family of [[Aleuadae]] joined the Persians subsequently. The following year, the Persians were decisively defeated at the [[Battle of Plataea]] and withdrew from all of their European possessions, including Thessaly.<ref name="RoismanWorthington2010">{{cite book | editor1 = Joseph Roisman | editor2 = Ian Worthington | date = 6 December 2010 | title = A Companion to Ancient Macedonia | publisher = John Wiley & Sons | page = 139| isbn = 978-1-4051-7936-2 | oclc = 1025542935 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lkYFVJ3U-BIC}}</ref>
 
In the 4th century BC, after the [[Greco-Persian Wars]] had long ended, [[Jason of Pherae]] transformed the region into a significant military power, recalling the glory of Early Archaic times. Shortly after, [[Philip II of Macedon]] was appointed ''Archon'' of Thessaly, and Thessaly was thereafter associated with the Macedonian Kingdom for the next centuries.
 
Thessaly later became part of the [[Roman Empire]] as part of the province of [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]]; when that was broken up, the name resurfaced in two of its late Roman successor provinces: [[Thessalia Prima]] and [[Thessalia Secunda]].

===Byzantine period===
{{further|Byzantine Greece}}
[[File:59. Βυζαντινό ΚάστροΤρικάλων, παλιά πόλη Βαρούσι GR-E44-0002.jpg|thumb|Part of the Byzantine [[Trikala Castle|castle]] of Trikala]]
[[File:MakElassona04.jpg|thumb|180px|View of the [[Panagia Olympiotissa Monastery]] in [[Elassona]]]]

Thessaly remained part of the East Roman "Byzantine" Empire after the collapse of Roman power in the west, and subsequently suffered many invasions, such as by the Slavic tribe of the [[Belegezites]] in the 7th century AD.<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Humanity: From the seventh century B.C. to the seventh century A.D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGUz01yBumEC&pg=PA252 |date=January 1, 1996 |publisher=[[UNESCO]]|isbn=978-92-3-102812-0 |page=252 |first1=Sigfried J. |last1=de Laet |first2=Joachim |last2=Herrmann |chapter=The Invasion of Slaves and Avars (c. 568 to 626) |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WGUz01yBumEC&pg=PA252 |editor-last=Tapkova-Zaimova |editor-first=Vasilka}}</ref> The [[Avars (Caucasus)|Avars]] had arrived in Europe in the late 550s.<ref name="Fine83">Fine, John V. A., Jr. 1983, ''Early Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey From the Sixth to the Late Twelfth Century,'' University of Michigan Press {{ISBN|9780472100255}}</ref>{{rp|29}}  They asserted their authority over many Slavs, who were divided into numerous petty tribes.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=30}}  Many Slavs were made into an effective infantry force, by the Avars. In the 7th century the Avar-Slav alliance began to raid the Byzantine Empire, [[Siege of Thessalonica (617)|laying siege]] to Thessalonica and even the imperial capital [[First Siege of Constantinople|Constantinople]] itself.

By the 8th century, [[Slavs]] had occupied most of the Balkans from Austria to the Peloponnese, and from the Adriatic to the Black seas, with the exception of the coastal areas and certain mountainous regions of the Greek peninsula.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=36}}  Relations between the Slavs and Greeks were probably peaceful apart from the (supposed) initial settlement and intermittent uprisings.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=63}} Being agriculturalists, the Slavs probably traded with the Greeks inside towns.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=61}} It is likely that the re-[[Hellenization]] had already begun by way of this contact. This process would be completed by a newly reinvigorated Byzantine Empire.

With the abatement of [[Arab-Byzantine Wars]], the Byzantine Empire began to consolidate its power in those areas of mainland Greece occupied by Proto-Slavic tribes. Following the campaigns of the Byzantine general [[Staurakios (eunuch)|Staurakios]] in 782–783, the Byzantine Empire recovered Thessaly, taking many Slavs as prisoners.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=79}} Apart from military expeditions against Slavs, the re-Hellenization process begun under Nicephorus I involved (often forcible) transfer of peoples.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=81}}

Many Slavs were moved to other parts of the empire such as Anatolia and made to serve in the military.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=66}} In return, many Greeks from Sicily and Asia Minor were brought to the interior of Greece, to increase the number of defenders at the Emperor's disposal and dilute the concentration of Slavs.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=82}}

===Late Medieval period===
{{further|Great Vlachia|Duchy of Neopatria|Ottoman Greece}}
[[File:Coat of Arms of the Duchy of Neopatria.svg|thumb|left|100px|Coat of arms of the [[Duchy of Neopatras]].]]

In 977 Byzantine Thessaly was raided by the [[First Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]]. In 1066 dissatisfaction with the taxation policy led the Aromanian and Bulgarian population of Thessaly to revolt against the Byzantine Empire under the leadership of a local lord, [[Nikoulitzas Delphinas]]. The revolt, which began in [[Larissa]], soon expanded to [[Trikala]] and later northwards to the Byzantine-Bulgarian border.{{sfn|Fine|1991|p=216}} In 1199–1201 another unsuccessful revolt was led by [[Manuel Kamytzes]], son-in-law of Byzantine emperor [[Alexios III Angelos]], with the support of [[Dobromir Chrysos]], the autonomous ruler of [[Prosek, North Macedonia|Prosek]]. Kamytzes managed to establish a short-lived principality in northern Thessaly, before he was overcome by an imperial expedition.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=32}}

[[File:Dodwell Pherae.jpg|thumb|"The Hyperian Fountain at [[Pherae]]", during the Ottoman era, by [[Edward Dodwell]].]]

Following the [[Siege of Constantinople (1204)|siege of Constantinople]] and the dissolution of the [[Byzantine Empire]] by the [[Fourth Crusade]] in April 1204, Thessaly passed to [[Boniface I, Marquis of Montferrat|Boniface of Montferrat]]'s [[Kingdom of Thessalonica]] in the wider context of the ''[[Frankokratia]]''. With his Greek ties, Boniface won the support of the Greek population and of various important Greek families.{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=63}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=64}} In 1212, [[Michael I Komnenos Doukas]], ruler of [[Despotate of Epirus|Epirus]], led his troops into Thessaly. Larissa and much of central Thessaly came under Epirote rule, thereby separating Thessalonica from the Crusader principalities in southern Greece.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=68}} Michael's work was completed by his half-brother and successor, [[Theodore Komnenos Doukas]], who by 1220 completed the recovery of the entire region, and assigned [[pronoia|''pronoiai'']] to aristocratic Greek families.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=114}}

[[File:Thessalia-flag.jpg|thumb|160px|One of the flags used in Thessaly during the [[Greek War of Independence]] (designed by [[Anthimos Gazis]]).]]

The [[Vlachs]] (Aromanians) of Thessaly (originally a chiefly [[transhumant]] [[Romance languages|Romance-speaking]] population){{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=2183}}{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=2184}} first appear in Byzantine sources in the 11th century, in the ''[[Strategikon of Kekaumenos]]'' and [[Anna Komnene]]'s ''[[Alexiad]]''.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=2183}}{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=2184}} In the 12th century, the Jewish traveller [[Benjamin of Tudela]] records the existence of the district of "Vlachia" near [[Halmyros]] in eastern Thessaly, while the Byzantine historian [[Niketas Choniates]] places "[[Great Vlachia]]" ({{langx|rup|Vlãhia Mari|link=no}}) near [[Meteora]]. The term is also used by the 13th-century scholar [[George Pachymeres]], and it appears as a distinct administrative unit in 1276, when the ''[[pinkernes]]'' [[Manuel Komnenos Raoul|Raoul Komnenos]] was its governor (''[[kephale (Byzantine Empire)|kephale]]'').{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=2183}}

From 1271 to 1318 Thessaly was an independent despotate that extended to [[Acarnania]] and [[Aetolia]], run by the dynasty founded by [[John I Doukas]]. John ruled from 1271 until his death in 1289 and was succeeded by his sons Constantine and Theodore. At this time, Thessaly came under Byzantine suzerainty, though it largely retained its independence.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=235}} After Constantine's death in 1303, it was ruled by [[John II Doukas]] until his death in 1318. From 1306 to 1310, the [[Almogavars]] or [[Catalan Company]] of the East (''Societas Catalanorum Magna''), plundered Thessaly.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=241}} In 1310, they occupied a series of forts in the south.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=241}} From there they departed to the [[Duchy of Athens]], called by the duke [[Gautier V, Count of Brienne|Walter I]], whom they eventually killed in battle and took over the [[Duchy of Athens]].{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=242}} In 1318, with the death of John II, Thessalian independence came to an end, and the Almogavars occupied Siderokastron and southern Thessaly (1319) and formed the [[Duchy of Neopatria]]. The other parts of Thessaly either came under Byzantine rule or were ruled by their own nobility.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=243}} These local magnates eventually started fighting amongst themselves. Those in the south, such as the Melissenos family of Volos, sought the help of the Catalans, while those in the north, such as the Gavrilopoulos family of Trikala, turned towards Byzantium.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=243}} At this time, some of Thessaly's ports came under Venetian rule.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=247}} In 1332, most of Thessaly was taken by the Byzantines following a campaign by [[Andronikos III Paleologos]].{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=253}} He left its administration to [[Michael Monomachos]], who governed  it for the next 10 years.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=253}}

Groups of Albanians moved into Thessaly as early as 1268 as mercenaries of [[Michael II Komnenos Doukas|Michael Doukas]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Lopasic|first1=Alexander|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDywCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA90|title=Perspectives On Albania|date=1992|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-349-22050-2|editor1-last=Winnifrith|editor1-first=Tom|pages=90|chapter=Cultural Values of the Albanians in the Diaspora}}</ref> The [[Albanians|Albanian]] tribes of [[Bua (tribe)|Bua]], [[Malakasioi]] and Mazaraki were described as "unruly" nomads living in the mountains of Thessaly in the early 14th century in [[John VI Kantakouzenos|Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos’]] ‘History’. They numbered approximately 12,000. Kantakouzenos describes a pact they made to serve the Byzantine Emperor and pay tribute to him ca. 1332 in exchange for using the lowland areas of Thessaly in the summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Elsie|first=Robert|title=Texts and Documents of Albanian History|url=http://albanianhistory.net/1328_Cantacuzene/index.html|access-date=2021-10-09|website=albanianhistory.net}}</ref> Albanian groups were given military holdings [[Fanari, Karditsa|Fanari]] in the 1330s and by the end of the 14th century and the Ottoman takeover of the region, they were an integral part of the military structures of Thessaly. Two of their military leaders known in Byzantine sources as Peter and John Sebastopoulos controlled the small towns of [[Pharsala]] and [[Domokos]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Magdalino |first1=Paul |editor1-last=Arbel |editor1-first=Benjamin |editor2-last=Hamilton |editor2-first=Bernard |editor3-last=Jacoby |editor3-first=David |title=Latins and Greeks in the Eastern Mediterranean After 1204 |date=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1136289163 |page=103 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUzFBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA103 |chapter=Between Romaniae: Thessaly and Epirus in the Later Middle Ages}}</ref>

In 1348, Thessaly was invaded and occupied by the [[Serbian Empire]] of [[Stefan Dušan]], under the general [[Preljub]]. After the latter's death in 1356, the region was conquered by [[Nikephoros II Orsini|Nikephoros Orsini]] after he won the support of the local Greek population.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=347}} After his death three years later, it was taken over by the self-proclaimed Serbian emperor [[Simeon Uroš]]. Simeon's son [[John Uroš]] succeeded in 1370 but abdicated in 1373, and Thessaly was administered by the Greek Angeloi-Philanthropenoi clan until the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] conquest c.&nbsp;1393.

===Ottoman period===
Ottoman control began in the late 14th century with the capture of Larissa in 1392-93 and consolidated in the early 15th century. Nevertheless, Ottoman control was threatened throughout this era by groups of Greeks, Albanians and Aromanians who based themselves in the mountainous areas of Thessaly.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Savvides |first1=Alexis |title=Splintered Medieval Hellenism : The Semi-Autonomous State of Thessaly (A.d. 1213/1222 to 1454/1470) and ITS Place in History |journal=Byzantion |date=1998 |volume=68 |issue=2 |page=416 |jstor=44172339 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/44172339 |quote= Following the Ottoman capture of Larissa in 1392/1393, the Turkish forces moved southward towards Hellas and invaded the Peloponnese, which had already experienced their initial devastations; the next decades would witness the building-up of local resistance in Thessaly on the part of sections of Greeks, Albanians and Vlachs, who had taken to the mountains}}</ref> At the time of the Ottoman conquest, the great Eastern plain of Thessaly was almost entirely depopulated as a result of the nearly continuous warfare of the previous decades. It was resettled by Turkish settlers from Western [[Anatolia]] and [[Greeks]] from Western Thessaly and the surrounding mountains. In the following decades, the population of this area grew very rapidly as a result of law and order.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kiel |first=Machiel |title=The Ottoman Imperial Registers |date=2016-10-03 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvh1dqhd.21 |work=Reconstructing Past Population Trends in Mediterranean Europe (3000 BC - AD 1800) |pages=196–198 |access-date=2023-03-21 |publisher=Oxbow Books|doi=10.2307/j.ctvh1dqhd.21 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Thessaly was ruled through the [[Sanjak of Tirhala]] administrative division during the [[Ottoman Greece|Ottoman period]]. In the 1520s, [[Muslims]] made up of 17.5% of the population of the Sanjak.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Minkov |first=Anton |title=Conversion to Islam in the Balkans : Kisve bahası petitions and Ottoman social life, 1670-1730 |date=2004 |isbn=1-4237-1251-X |location=Leiden |pages=49 |oclc=191947039}}</ref>

Failed Greek uprisings occurred in [[Thessaly Rebellion (1600)|1600/1]] and 1612, and during the [[Morean War]] (1684–1699) and the [[Orlov Revolt]] (1770).{{sfn|Savvides|2000|pp=420–422}}

In 1780, [[Ali Pasha of Ioannina]] took over control of Thessaly, and consolidated his rule after 1808, when he suppressed a local uprising. Heavy taxation, however, ruined the province's commerce, and coupled with the outbreak of the plague in 1813, reduced the population to some 200,000 by 1820.{{sfn|Savvides|2000|pp=420–422}} [[Rigas Feraios]], the important Greek intellectual and forerunner of the [[Greek War of Independence]] was from the region. He was born in [[Velestino]],<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FGmJqMflYgoC&pg=PA159 |title=Entangled Histories of the Balkans: National Ideologies and Language Policies |volume=1 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |date=June 13, 2013 |isbn=978-9004250765 |page=159 |first1=Roumen Dontchev |last1=Daskalov |first2=Tchavdar |last2=Marinov}}</ref> near the ancient town of [[Pherae]].

When the [[Greek War of Independence]] broke out in 1821, Greek risings occurred in the [[Pelion]] and [[Mount Olympus|Olympus]] mountains as well as the western mountains around Fanari, but they were swiftly suppressed by the Ottoman armies under [[Reşid Mehmed Pasha|Mehmed Reshid Pasha]] and [[Mahmud Dramali Pasha]].{{sfn|Savvides|2000|pp=420–422}} After the establishment of the independent [[Kingdom of Greece]], Greek nationalist agitation continued, with further revolts in 1841, in 1854 during the [[Crimean War]], and again during the [[Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878]]. In 1880 Thessaly's population consisted of approximately 285,000 Greeks, 40,000 Turks, and 40,000 Jews.{{sfn|Savvides|2000|pp=420–422}}

===Modern===
[[File:Volos-bynight.JPG|thumb|The port of [[Volos]]]]

Thessaly became part of the modern Greek state in 1881, after the [[Convention of Constantinople (1881)|Convention of Constantinople]] except the area around the town of [[Elassona]], which remained in Ottoman hands until 1912. It was briefly captured by Ottomans during the [[Greco-Turkish War of 1897]]. After the [[Treaty of Constantinople (1897)]], Greece was forced to cede minor border areas and to pay heavy reparations. The remaining part of Thessaly held by the Ottomans was finally regained by the Greeks during the [[First Balkan War]] in 1912.{{sfn|Savvides|2000|pp=420–422}} In 1923, the entire Muslim population was sent to Turkey following the [[population exchange between Greece and Turkey]] at the end of the [[Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922)|Greco-Turkish War]].

During [[World War II]], Thessaly was occupied by the [[Kingdom of Italy]] from April 1941 to September 1943. After the [[Armistice of Cassibile]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] occupied Thessaly until October 1944. It became a major centre of the [[Greek Resistance]], most famously seeing the desertion of the Italian [[Pinerolo Division]] to the guerrillas of [[EAM-ELAS]] in 1943.

==Geography==
[[Image:Meteora valley, Meteora, Greece.jpg|thumb|center|600px|Panoramic view of [[Meteora]] valley]]
[[File:MakTempeTal01.jpg|thumb|[[Vale of Tempe]]]]
[[File:Volos view from Pelion.JPG|thumb|[[Volos]] view from [[Pelion]] mountain.]]
[[File:Lithaiosrivertrikala.jpg|thumb|Litheos river flowing through the city of [[Trikala]]]]
[[File:Skiathos view - panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Skiathos]] island]]

Thessaly occupies the east side of the [[Pindus]] watershed, extending south from Macedonia to the [[Aegean Sea]]. The northern tier of Thessaly is defined by a generally southwest–northeast spur of the Pindus range that includes [[Mount Olympus]], close to the Macedonian border. Within that broken spur of mountains are several basins and river valleys.

The easternmost extremity of the spur extends southeastward from Mount Olympus along the Aegean coast, terminating in the [[Magnesia Prefecture|Magnesia]] Peninsula that envelops the [[Pagasetic Gulf]] (also called the Gulf of Volos), and forms an inlet of the Aegean Sea. Thessaly's major river, the [[Pineios (Thessaly)|Pineios]], flows eastward from the central Pindus Range just south of the spur, emptying into the [[Thermaic Gulf]].

The [[Trikala]] and [[Larissa]] lowlands form a [[Thessalian plain|central plain]] which is surrounded by a ring of mountains. It has distinct summer and winter seasons, with summer rains augmenting the fertility of the plains. This has led to Thessaly occasionally being called the "breadbasket of Greece".

The region is well delineated by topographical boundaries. The [[Chasia]] and [[Kamvounia]] mountains lie to the north, the Mount Olympus massif to the northeast. To the west lies the Pindus mountain range, to the southeast the coastal mountains of [[Óssa]] and [[Pelion]].

Several tributaries of the Pineios flow through the region.

=== Climate ===
Most of the province has a [[Mediterranean climate|hot summer Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Csa''), but also found is a [[Semi-arid climate|cold semi-arid climate]] (''BSk'') including the capital [[Larissa]] (on its [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]] edge of category). Even in the north of Thessaly a rare [[humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'') can be found, although it is different from a climate typically below or above the tropics, it also marks the limit of this rare ''Cf'' subtype on the [[Europe|European continent]] (e. g. the small village of Kalvia).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.eng.unimelb.edu.au/mpeel/koppen.html|title=Updated Köppen-Geiger climate map of the world|website=people.eng.unimelb.edu.au|access-date=2019-01-18}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
The population of the region of Thessaly was 687,527 in 2021 census. The region has shrunk by 45,235 people between 2011 and 2021, experiencing a population loss of 6.2%.<ref name="2021census"/>

In 2011, the population of the region of Thessaly was 732,762 and represented 6.8% of the total population of Greece. A 2.8% decrease in the population since 2001 was noted, but Thessaly remains Greece's third most populous region.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Hellenic Statistical Authority]] |title=Demographic and social characteristics of the Resident Population of Greece according to the 2011 Population |work=Housing Census |access-date=March 20, 2014 |date=September 12, 2014 |url=http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_03_F_EN.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908142240/http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A1602_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_03_F_EN.pdf |archive-date=September 8, 2015 }}</ref>

The population break-down is 44% urban, 40% agrarian, and 16% semi-urban. A decrease in the agrarian population has been accompanied by an increase in the semi-urban population.

The metropolitan area of Larissa, the capital of Thessaly, is home to more than 230,000 people, making it the biggest city of the region.

An Aromanian minority resides in Thessaly. This region, along with [[Epirus]] and [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], are the regions with the biggest concentrations of [[Aromanians in Greece|Greek Aromanians]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://dinitrandu.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Aromanians-in-Greece-Thede-Kahl.pdf|title=Aromanians in Greece: Minority or Vlach-speaking Greeks?|first=Thede|last=Kahl|journal=Jahrbücher für Geschichte und Kultur Südosteuropas|volume=5|pages=205–219|year=2003}}</ref> Another notable population group of Thessaly are the [[Karagounides]], an ethnic Greek subgroup.

===Language===
The [[Aeolic Greek|Aeolic]] dialect of Greek was spoken in Thessaly. This included several local varieties, in particular the variants of [[Pelasgians#Language|Pelasgiotis]] and Thessaliotis. The language was not written.<ref>Frits Waanders, “Thessalian”, in: Encyclopedia of Ancient Greek Language and Linguistics, Managing Editors Online Edition: First Last. Consulted online on 31 August 2020 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2214-448X_eagll_COM_00000349></ref>

Apart from Greek, Aromanian is also spoken in Thessaly. Some [[Aromanian dialects]] from the region have some unique peculiarities of their own, such as that of [[Krania, Elassona|Krania]], which is one of the few with [[differential object marking]] (DOM) along with those dialects spoken at the west of [[Ohrid]] in [[North Macedonia]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=The contact hypothesis revised: DOM in the South Slavic periphery|first=Eleni|last=Bužarovska|journal=[[Journal of Language Contact]]|volume=13|issue=1|pages=57–95|year=2020|doi=10.1163/19552629-bja10003|s2cid=225734803|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Major settlements==
*[[Karditsa|Kardítsa (Καρδίτσα)]]
*[[Larissa|Lárisa (Λάρισα)]]
*[[Trikala|Tríkala (Τρίκαλα)]]
*[[Volos|Vólos (Βόλος)]]
*[[Nea Ionia, Magnesia|Néa Ionía (Νέα Ιωνία)]] (Metropolitan area of Volos)
*[[Elassona|Elassóna (Ελασσόνα)]]
*[[Farsala|Fársala (Φάρσαλα)]]
*[[Tyrnavos|Tyrnavos (Τύρναβος)]]
*[[Kalabaka|Kalabáka/Kalampáka (Καλαμπάκα)]]
*[[Almyros|Almyrós (Αλμυρός)]]

== Economy ==

The alluvial soils of the [[Pineios (Thessaly)|Pineios]] Basin and its tributaries make Thessaly a vital agricultural area, particularly for the production of [[grain]], [[cattle]], and [[sheep]]. Modernization of agricultural practices in the mid-20th century has controlled the chronic flooding that had restricted agricultural expansion and diversification in the low-lying plains. Thessaly is the leading cattle-raising area of [[Greece]], and Aromanian shepherds move large flocks of [[sheep]] and [[goat]]s seasonally between higher and lower elevations.

In the last few decades, there has been a rise in the cultivation of dried nuts such as [[almond]]s, [[pistachio]]s, and [[walnut]]s, especially in the region of [[Almyros]]. An increase in the number of olive oil trees has been also observed. The nearly landlocked [[Gulf of Pagasai]] provides a natural harbor at [[Volos]] for shipping agricultural products from the plains and chromium from the mountains.

The [[Gross domestic product]] (GDP) of the province was 9.7 billion € in 2018, accounting for 5.2% of Greek economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €16,100  or 53% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 65% of the EU average.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/10474907/1-05032020-AP-EN.pdf/81807e19-e4c8-2e53-c98a-933f5bf30f58|title=Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018|website=Eurostat}}</ref>

The unemployment rate stood at 20.6% in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&language=de&pcode=tgs00010&plugin=1|title=Regional Unemployment by NUTS2 Region|website=Eurostat}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!2006
!2007
!2008
!2009
!2010
!2011
!2012
!2013
!2014
!2015
!2016
!2017
|-
|'''unemployment rate'''<br/>(in %)
|8.2 
|7.8
|8.3
|9.2  
|12.1
|16.8
|22.6
|25.4
|25.4
|26.9
|25.5
|20.6
|}

== Transport ==
There are a number of highways such as [[European route E75|E75]], and the main railway from [[Athens]] to [[Thessaloniki]] (Salonika) crosses Thessaly. The region is directly linked to the rest of Europe through the [[International Airport of Central Greece]], which is located in [[Nea Anchialos]], a small distance from [[Volos]] and [[Larissa|Larisa]]. Charter flights link the region and bring tourists to the wider area, mainly in [[Pelion]] and [[Meteora]]. The new infrastructure includes a brand new terminal ready to serve 1500 passengers per hour and new airplanes.

== Administration ==
Although the historical region of Thessaly extended south into [[Phthiotis]] and at times north into [[West Macedonia]], today the term 'Thessaly' is identified with the modern Administrative Region which was established in the 1987 administrative reform. With the 2010 [[Kallikratis plan]], the powers and authority of the region were redefined and extended.

Along with [[Central Greece (administrative region)|Central Greece]], it is supervised by the [[Decentralized Administration of Thessaly and Central Greece]], based at [[Larissa]]. The region of Thessaly is divided into five [[regional units of Greece|regional units]] (four were pre-Kallikratis [[prefectures of Greece|prefectures]]), [[Karditsa (regional unit)|Karditsa]], [[Larissa (regional unit)|Larissa]], [[Magnesia (regional unit)|Magnesia]], the [[Sporades]] and [[Trikala (regional unit)|Trikala]], which are further subdivided into twenty-five [[Municipalities of Greece|municipalities]].
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
|+Municipal Populations in Thessaly
!Regional Unit
!Municipality
!Population (2011)
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Agia, Larissa|Agia]]
|11,470
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Elassona]]
|32,121
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Farsala]]
|18,545
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Kileler]]
|20,854
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Larissa]]
|162,591
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Tempi (municipality)|Tempi]]
|13,712
|-
|'''Larissa'''
|[[Tyrnavos]]
|25,032
|-
|'''Sporades'''
|[[Skiathos]]
|6,610
|-
|'''Sporades'''
|[[Skopelos]]
|4,960
|-
|'''Sporades'''
|[[Alonnisos]]
|2,750
|-
|'''Magnesia'''
|[[Almyros]]
|18,614
|-
|'''Magnesia'''
|[[Rigas Feraios (municipality)|Rigas Feraios]]
|10,922
|-
|'''Magnesia'''
|[[South Pelion]]
|10,216
|-
|'''Magnesia'''
|[[Volos]]
|144,449
|-
|'''Magnesia'''
|[[Zagora-Mouresi]]
|5,809
|-
|'''Karditsa'''
|[[Argithea]]
|3,450
|-
|'''Karditsa'''
|[[Karditsa]]
|56,747
|-
|'''Karditsa'''
|[[Lake Plastiras (municipality)|Lake Plastiras]]
|4,635
|-
|'''Karditsa'''
|[[Mouzaki]]
|13,122
|-
|'''Karditsa'''
|[[Palamas]]
|16,726
|-
|'''Karditsa'''
|[[Sofades]]
|18,864
|-
|'''Trikala'''
|[[Farkadona]]
|13,396
|-
|'''Trikala'''
|[[Kalampaka]]
|21,991
|-
|'''Trikala'''
|[[Pyli]]
|14,343
|-
|'''Trikala'''
|[[Trikala]]
|81,355
|}

The regional governor is {{interlanguage link|Dimitris Kouretas|el|Δημήτρης Κουρέτας}}, who was elected in the second round of the [[2023 Greek local elections|2023 regional election]] and took office on 1 January 2024.

==Ancient coinage==
<gallery class="center">
File:AR hemidrachm of Pharsalos.jpg|Silver hemidrachm of [[Pharsalos]] struck 450-400 BC
File:AR hemidrachm of Trikka.jpg|Silver hemidrachm of [[Trikka]] struck 440-400 BC
File:Münze des Thessalischen Bundes.jpg|Silver hemidrachm of [[Thessalian League]] struck 470-460 BC
File:Bronze coin of Ekkarra.jpg|Bronze coin of Ekkarra struck 325-320 BC
File:Bronze coin of Krannon.jpg|Bronze coin of [[Krannon]] struck 400-344 BC
File:Hemidrachm, Pellina, Thessaly, 460-420 BC.jpg|Hemidrachm coin of [[Pelinna]] struck 460-420 BC
</gallery>

==Popular culture==
* In the game, ''[[Hades II]]'' (the sequel to ''[[Hades (video game)|Hades]]''), "The Rift of Thessaly" is a massive water rift made on Thessaly by the sea-god, [[Poseidon]] ([[Melinoë]], the [[Protagonist]]'s, paternal uncle), in an (unsuccessful) attempt to prevent the Titan of Time, [[Chronos]]'s, forces from laying siege upon [[Mount Olympus]].  Here, the 'Helpful-Hand' character for Melinoë while on her quest is her fellow sorceress, Lady [[Circe]], stationed up on her private [[Island|isle]] of "[[Aeaea|Aiaia]]" prior by Lady Hecate to be her eyes and ears there.
* Thessaly appears in ''[[Tom Clancy's EndWar]]'' as the European Union's southernmost missile defense uplinks.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://endwargame.us.ubi.com/locations.php |title=Tom Clancy's EndWar: Game Info // Locations |author=[[Ubisoft]] |publisher=[[Ubisoft]] |year=2008 |access-date=1 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017181704/http://endwargame.us.ubi.com/locations.php |archive-date=17 October 2008 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Vale of Tempe]]
* [[List of traditional Greek place names]]
* [[CERETETH]], Center of Technology Thessaly

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Sources==
* {{The Early Medieval Balkans}}
* {{The Late Medieval Balkans}}
* {{ODB |last=Kazhdan |first=Alexander |author-link=Alexander Kazhdan |title=Vlachia }}
* {{EI2 | title = Tesalya | first = Alexis G. C. | last = Savvides | volume = 10 | pages = 420–422 |url=http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/tesalya-SIM_7499}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofgree02smit/page/1164 |chapter=Thessalia |title=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography |volume=2 |pages=1165–1170 |editor-first=William |editor-last=Smith |editor-link=William Smith (lexicographer) |year=1857 |publisher=Walton and Mayberly |access-date=12 October 2018 | ref = none }}

==External links==
{{commons category|Thessaly}}
* {{official website}} {{in lang|el}}
* {{cite web |url=http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/991374 |title=Places: 991374 (Thessalia) |author=Bagnall, R., J. Drinkwater, A. Esmonde-Cleary, W. Harris, R. Knapp, S. Mitchell, S. Parker, C. Wells, J. Wilkes, R. Talbert, M. E. Downs, M. Joann McDaniel, B. Z. Lund, T. Elliott, S. Gillies |date=15 February 2012 |access-date=March 8, 2012<!-- 3:22 pm -->|publisher=Pleiades}}

{{Thessaly}}
{{Administrative regions of Greece}}
{{Geographic regions of Greece}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Thessaly| ]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Administrative regions of Greece]]
[[Category:Northern Greece]]