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{{About|the modern city in Messenia, Greece||Messene (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Greek Dimos
  |name = Messini
  |name_local = Μεσσήνη 
|type = municipality
|image_map = 2011 Dimos Messinis.png
  |periph = [[Peloponnese (region)|Peloponnese]]
|periphunit         =  [[Messenia]]
|pop_municipality   = 19170
|area_municipality  = 562.1
|pop_municunit      = 8937
|area_municunit     = 84.6
|pop_community      = 5958
  |population_as_of = 2021
  |elevation = 5
  |coordinates        = {{coord|37|3|N|22|0|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
  |postal_code = 242 00
  |area_code = 27220
  |licence = ΚΜ
  |mayor = 
  |website = 
 |image_skyline      = Local train at Messini.jpg
 |caption_skyline    = The old railway station.
 |city_flag          = 
 |city_seal          = 
 |party              = 
 |since              = 
}}
'''Messini''' ({{langx|el|Μεσσήνη}}, before 1867: Νησί ''Nisi'')<ref name=eetaa>[https://www.eetaa.gr/eetaa/metaboles/oikmet_details.php?id=13467 EETAA local government changes]</ref> is a municipal unit (''dimotiki enotita'') and the seat town (''edra'') of the [[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipality]] (''dimos'') of Messini within the regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') of [[Messenia]] in the region (''perifereia'') of [[Peloponnese (region)|Peloponnese]], one of 13 regions into which [[Greece]] has been divided.<ref name=Kallikratis/> Before 2011 the same hierarchy prevailed, according to Law 2539 of 1997, the Kapodistrias Plan, except that Messenia was a ''nomos'' and the Municipal unit was a locality (''topiko diamerisma''). The ''dimos'' existed under both laws, but not with the same constituents.

Messini (modern pronunciation) is not to be confused with its ancient namesake, [[Messene]], located {{convert|15|km|mi|abbr=off}} to the north in the shadow of Mount [[Ithome]]. Ancient Messene is an equally large but abandoned site of ruins partially occupied by the small village of Mavrommati.

==Geography==
The modern town has some 6,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest municipality of Messinia regional unit. The town centre is {{cvt|3|km}} from the [[Messinian Gulf]] coast, near the right bank of the river [[Pamisos (river)|Pamisos]]. The major city of Messinia, [[Kalamata]], is {{cvt|10|km}} to the east of Messini and has almost 9 times its population. The town is accessed by [[Greek National Road 82]] (Pylos - Kalamata - Sparta). The [[Kalamata International Airport]] is two kilometers to the east. Since 1892, Messini had a railway station on a branch line from the [[Corinth–Kalamata railway]]. It was closed in 1976, reopened in 2007, and again closed in 2011.

==Administration==
Before the reorganization, the municipality of Messini contained 14 local divisions (''topika diamerismata'') for a total population of 11041.<ref>{{harvnb|Hellenic Interior Ministry|2001|loc=Lines 6916-6931}}.</ref> Since 2010 Messini has still been a municipality, one of the six of Messenia. However, it has absorbed seven other former municipalities. These, and the former municipality of Messini, have become municipal units (''dimotikes enotites'') of the municipality Messini, with a total population of 19,170 (2021 census). These are as follows:<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web|url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL81-32jgAMSfbnMRVjyfnPUeJInJ48_97uHrMts-zFzeyCiBSQOpYnT00MHhcXFRTsb2fGphpq4MKX2ZkaHobySNnvZCNHXvYVvlf80XevW0Q.|title=ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities|language=el|publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]]}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable
! Municipal unit !! Population (2021)<ref name="census21" />
|-
| [[Aipeia]] || 1,319
|-
| [[Androusa]] || 1,800
|-
| [[Aristomenis]] || 1,696
|-
| [[Voufrades]] || 853
|-
| [[Ithomi, Messenia|Ithomi]] || 1,537
|-
| Messini || 8,937
|-
| [[Petalidi]] || 2,555
|-
| [[Trikorfo, Messenia|Trikorfo]] || 473
|}

The municipality has an area of {{cvt|562.06|km2}}, the municipal unit {{cvt|84.60|km2}}.<ref name=stat01>{{cite web|url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |archive-date=2015-09-21 }}</ref> The municipal unit of Messini contains the same subdivisions and populations as did the previous municipality of Messini but the subdivisions are now local communities.<ref name=Kallikratis/> These are as follows:
{| class=wikitable
! Local community !! Population (2021)<ref name="census21" />
|-
| Messini (town) || 5,958
|-
| [[Avramiou]] || 424
|-
| Analipsis || 380
|-
| Velika || 294
|-
| Karteroli || 374
|- 
| Lefkochora || 184
|-
| Lykotrafos || 225
|-
| Madena || 106
|-
| Mavrommati Pamisou || 406
|-
| Neochori || 113
|-
| Pilalistra || 154
|-
| Piperitsa|| 112
|-
| Spitali || 77
|-
| Triodos || 130
|}
In summary, Messini is a town, a municipal unit and a municipality.

===Province===
The province of Messini ({{langx|el|Επαρχία Μεσσήνης}}) was one of the [[provinces of Greece|provinces]] of the Messenia Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Messini (except the municipal units [[Aipeia]], [[Petalidi]] and [[Voufrades]]) and the municipal units [[Andania]], [[Meligalas]] and [[Oichalia, Messenia|Oichalia]].<ref name=census91>{{cite web|url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00086.pdf |title=Detailed census results 1991 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183824/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00086.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}&nbsp;{{small|(39&nbsp;MB)}} {{in lang|el|fr}}</ref> It was abolished in 2006.

==History==
Messini began its communal existence as Nisi, a settlement placed on an island (nēsos, from which Nisi) in the extensive marshland at the mouth of the Pamisos River.<ref>{{citation | first=Peter | last=Topping | contribution=The Post-classical Documents | title=The Minnesota Messenia expedition: reconstructing a bronze age regional environment | editor-first=William A | editor-last=McDonald | editor2-first=George Robert | editor2-last=Rapp | location=Minneapolis | publisher=University of Minnesota Press | year=1972 | page=66}}</ref> It was placed in Frankish territory, the Principality of Achaia, dated 1205-1432, consisting of 40 villages in Messenia and Elis. The ethnic content of the population in the vicinity at that time was Greek.  After 1432, when the Byzantine Empire fell and was commandeered by the Ottoman Empire, some Turks entered the region. Except for the names, these distinctions have more or less disappeared in modern Greece.

The government of Greece changed the official name to Messini in 1867.<ref name=eetaa/> [[Baedeker]]'s for the later 19th century and early 20th centuries referred to Nisi as "now officially Messini," a phrase that was widely used in travelogues of the period. The earliest Baedeker's to do so is the German edition of 1888. Prior to 1887 Nisi is not treated as Messini.  Subsequent references to the place often refer to Nisi as "the popular name".

==Recent population growth==
The populations of the town for the last few census' are given below.
{| class=wikitable
! Census Year !! Town population
|-
| 1981 || 6,854
|-
| 1991 || 6,453
|-
| 2001 || 6,912
|-
| 2011 || 6,287
|-
| 2021 || 5,958
|}

== Notable people ==
*[[Ioannis Alevras]] (1912–1995), politician
*[[Stefanos Linaios]] (1928-), actor

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

==Bibliography==
* {{cite web |url=http://www.ypes.gr/UserFiles/f0ff9297-f516-40ff-a70e-eca84e2ec9b9/D_diairesi.xls |script-title=el:Δείτε τη Διοικητική Διαίρεση |date=18 March 2001 | author=Hellenic Interior Ministry | publisher=Hellenic Interior Ministry |language=el}}. The previous Kapodistrias organization of all the communities in Greece. The populations are from the Census of 2001.

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{cite web | title=Hellenic Interior Ministry | language=el | url=http://www.ypes.gr/el/}}
*{{cite web | title=Municipality of Messini | url=http://www.tesseramultimedia.net/~messini/themes/dm/filestore/docs/Messini.pdf | language=el, en | access-date=9 October 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120127213322/http://www.tesseramultimedia.net/~messini/themes/dm/filestore/docs/Messini.pdf | archive-date=27 January 2012 }}
*{{cite web | title=Messini | publisher=World Places | date=2008–2009 | url=http://www.worldplaces.net/grc/40/messini/ | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218164221/http://www.worldplaces.net/grc/40/messini/ | archive-date=2011-12-18 }}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Messini (municipal unit)
|North     = [[Androusa]]
|Northeast = [[Aris, Messenia|Aris]], [[Thouria]]
|East      = [[Kalamata]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = ''[[Messenian Gulf]]''
|Southwest = [[Petalidi]]
|West      = [[Aristomenis]]
|Northwest = 
}}

{{Kallikratis-Peloponnese}}
{{Messini div}}
{{Prefectures and provinces of Greece}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Peloponnese (region)]]
[[Category:Populated places in Messenia]]
[[Category:Messini| ]]
[[Category:Provinces of Greece]]