Dervenakia

Dervenakia (Greek: Δερβενάκια) is a small village in Corinthia, in northeastern Peloponnese (southern Greece). It is situated on the old national highway from Nafplio to Corinth. Dervenakia is part of the community of Archaia Nemea. The name is derived from the Ottoman Turkish word dervent (دربند), meaning mountain pass.

History

See also: Battle of Dervenakia

Its history begins in 1750, when some Arcadians, chased by Arvanites, found protection in this narrow pass. According to Marino Ludwig, who came here in 1807, there were 60 houses, a church, a spring, a tower and many vineyards. In the summer of 1822, a Turkish expedition was organized with the aim of suppressing the revolution in the Peloponnese. Thus, Mahmut Pasha Dramalis crossed the Isthmus of Corinth with large forces. There he set fire to Corinth and reached Argos. Then the Greeks, led by Kolokotronis, who set his famous ingenious trap with only 2,500 soldiers, attacked the Turkish army at Dervenakia, killing 18,000 Turk and 7,000 Albanians which were civilian and soldier. After being defeated, Dramalis had to return to Corinth and died of grief, losing 1/5 of his army, many transport animals and war materiel. Angered by the disaster, Hurşit Pasha also committed suicide.

After the Battle of Dervenakia and Agios Sostis on July 26, 1822, the rebel Greeks had placed a guard at the Agios Sostis pass and the Windmill to prevent the passage and supply of Nafplio, which was besieged by the Corinthian Turks. However, on 28 November 1822, northeast of Anemomilos, where Nikitaras' camp was located, 150 Turks from Kurtesa secretly crossed at night an unguarded road from the peaks of Trikorfos, through the village of Agios Vasilios, to Agios Sostis. and they surprised the drums of Kranidi's chief Paparsenis (Arseniou Kresta), killed him and Spanos Kranidiotis and 20 other Greeks. Nikitaras also risked being captured alive.