View source for Penteli, Greece

{{expand Greek|topic=geo|Πεντέλη Αττικής|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox Greek Dimos
| name               = Penteli
| name_local         = Πεντέλη
|type = municipality
| image_map          = 2011 Dimos Pendelis.png
| periph             = [[Attica (region)|Attica]]
| periphunit         = [[North Athens (regional unit)|North Athens]]
| pop_municipality   = 35610
| area_municipality  = 36.064
|pop_municunit       = 5076
|area_municunit      = 28.878 
| population_as_of   = 2021
| elevation          = 422
| coordinates        = {{coord|38|03|09|N|23|52|06|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code        = 152 36
| area_code          = 210
| licence            = Z
| website            = {{url|https://penteli.gov.gr/}}
| image_skyline      = Πανοραμική Νέας Πεντέλης.jpg
| city_flag          = 
| city_seal          = 
| districts          = 
| mayor              = Natassa Kosmopoulou<ref name=mayor>[https://ekloges.ypes.gr/current/d/home/en/municipalities/9176/ Municipality of Penteli, Municipal elections – October 2023], Ministry of Interior</ref>
| party              = 
| since              = 2023
}}
'''Penteli''' ({{langx|el|Πεντέλη}}) is a village and a municipality in the [[North Athens (regional unit)|North Athens]] regional unit, [[Attica (region)|Attica]], [[Greece]]. Belonging to the [[Athens]] rural area, it takes its name from [[Mount Pentelicus]].

==Municipality==
The municipality Penteli was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:<ref name=Kallikratis>{{Cite web|url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL8-SrPzKAEPjjtIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6hq6ZkZV96FIukI0UzcPsWCK0LpLhpa7rhiWB4R5ntTnoWw7U8E1Amg.|title=ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text|language=el|publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]]}}</ref>
*[[Melissia]]
*[[Nea Penteli]]
*Penteli

==Geography==
Penteli is situated on the southern slopes of the limestone [[Mount Pentelicus|Penteli]] mountains. The municipality has an area of 36.064 km<sup>2</sup>, the municipal unit Penteli 28.878 km<sup>2</sup>.<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}}</ref> It is 14&nbsp;km northeast of central Athens. Some of the neighbourhoods of Penteli are Agia Triada, Agios Dimitrios, Daou and Kallithea.

==History==
The bones of prehistoric animals - [[mastodons]], [[rhinoceros]], [[antelope]], and [[giraffe]], along with giant [[turtle]]s, [[hyena]]s and other animals no longer extant in the area - have been found among the limestone crags of the mountain that looms over the present suburb of Athens. The Penteli mountains were renowned in [[Classical Greece]] as well as in the [[Roman Empire]] as a source of "Pentelic" [[marble]], notably used to build the [[Parthenon]] and the [[Tower of the Winds]]. The Romans constructed a 140-foot water tower and aqueduct to supply water to the city of Athens. Penteli is the site of the ancient town of [[Pentele]].<ref>{{Cite Barrington|59}}</ref>

During the [[Greek War of Independence]], the French [[philhellene]] [[Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance]] supported the revolutionary leaders. When she settled in Greece in 1834, she bought large plots of land in Athens and on the Penteli mountain. She had the [[Rododafni Castle]] built for her.

In July 1995, Penteli was ravaged by a large forest fire. According to Turkish former prime minister, Mesut Yilmaz, many of the forest fires that raged the Greek countryside during that summer were actually started by Turkish secret service agents.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} The forests of Penteli suffered damage again from the [[2007 Greek forest fires|August 2007 fires]].

==Transport==
The area is serviced by [[Pentelis railway station]] on the [[Athens Airport–Patras railway|Athens Airport–Patras line]].

==Historical population==
{| class=wikitable
! Year !! Municipal unit !! Municipality
|-
| 1981 || 2,286 || -
|-
| 1991 || 3,197 || - 
|-
| 2001 || 4,829 || - 
|-
| 2011 || 4,995 || 34,934 
|-
| 2021 || 5,076 || 35,610
|}

==Sights==
[[Image:Holy_Monastery_of_Penteli_04.jpg|thumbnail|The monastery of Penteli]]
* [[Monastery of Penteli]]
*Rododafni Castle, also known as ''Pyrgos Doukissis Plakentias'', a mansion built for the [[Sophie de Marbois-Lebrun, Duchess of Plaisance|Duchess of Plaisance]]. Construction was started in 1840, but it was not finished until 1961, when [[Constantine II of Greece]] moved into it.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vrilissia.gr/penteliko/contents/03.05.05.html|title=Rododafni Castle|accessdate=Dec 21, 2022}}</ref>
*The [[Penteli Observatory|Penteli Astronomical Station]] of the [[National Observatory of Athens]], completed in 1936

== Byzantine monuments ==
The catholicon of the old Monastery of St.Nicholas (Kallesia-Penteli). A wall painting monument of George Markou the Argus,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.biblionet.gr/author/91833/%CE%95%CF%85%CE%AC%CE%B3%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82_%CE%91%CE%BD%CE%B4%CF%81%CE%AD%CE%BF%CF%85|title=.:BiblioNet : Ανδρέου, Ευάγγελος|website=www.biblionet.gr|access-date=2018-11-17}}</ref> the great and prolific post-Byzantine ecclesiastic iconographer of the 18th century.<ref>(''"...Nel 1727, Marcou si trova di nuovo ad Atene, dove assume l’agiografia dei Templi di....e di San Nicola Callision a Pendeli. E evidente, che Marcou acquistò, di nuovo, la conoscenza con il Monastero Pendelis..."'') Evangelos Andreou  [http://ketlib.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/handle/ket/849]</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
file:Κέντρο Πεντέλης.jpg|Center of Penteli
file:Είσοδος Μονής Πεντέλης.jpg|Penteli Monastery entrance
file:Ascetic life in Penteli Monastery, Greece - panoramio.jpg|Inside the monastery of Penteli
file:Πεντελικά Λιβάδια.jpg|Penteli fields
file:Tourelle (Πυργίσκος) Πεντέλη.jpg|Tourelle tower
file:Μνημείο Πεσόντων Πεντελιωτών.jpg|Penteli fallen residents monument
</gallery>

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

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscatinline}}
*[https://penteli.gov.gr/ Official website] {{in lang|el}}

{{Geographic location
| Northwest = [[Kifisia]]
| North     = [[Dionysos, Greece|Dionysos]] 
| Northeast = [[Nea Makri]]
| West      = [[Nea Penteli]] 
| Center    = Penteli 
| East      = [[Rafina]]
| Southwest = [[Chalandri]]
| South     = [[Gerakas]], [[Anthousa, Attica|Anthousa]], [[Pallini]]
| Southeast = [[Pikermi]]
}}
{{Kallikratis-Attica}}
{{Penteli div}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Attica]]
[[Category:Populated places in North Athens (regional unit)]]
[[Category:Penteli, Greece| ]]