Euboea (in Greek “Εύβοια”), often called Evia, and in the past during the Venetian period of the island also known as “Negroponte”, is the second-largest island in Greece, just after Crete.
Origins of the name of Euboea
The oldest name of the island of Euboea is thought to be different from the one current and was perhaps “Μάκρις” (read “Macris“) or “Δολίχη” (pronounced “Doliche“). The current name, however quite ancient, “Eubèa” (in Greek characters “Εὔβοια”), seems to have originated from the union of two ancient Greek words: “εὖ” (which in ancient Greek would mean “rightly”, “good”, “pleasantly”) and “βοῦς” (beef, ox, cow), therefore the name Euboea would mean roughly “good Ox”.
Other names of the island, in use during the Middle Ages, took the name of the main city of Euboea, namely Chalcis (in Greek “Χαλκίς”), especially during the Byzantine period, as well as with the name of the strait that divides Euboea from the rest of Greece, then from the continent, than the strait of Euripe (in Greek “Εύριπος”).
Even the Venetian name of Euboea would originate from the name of the strait (Euripe) which divides the island from mainland Greece, also called “Evripo” or “Egribos” and finally “Egriponte”; just from “Egriponte” the toponym came to be “Negroponte”; another hypothesis is that the name derives from the way the waters around the island were called: as very deep “niger” (black) and “Pontus” (depth).
Famous people from Euboea
Euboea is a place where several celebrities were born, such as the writer Giannis Skarimpas; as well as the revolutionary Nikolaos Kriezotis (one of the main leaders of the Greek revolution against the Ottomans at the time of Greek independence), the Greek politician Konstantinos Kallias, the military officer Mordechai Frizis (one of the commanders of Greece during the Italian-Greek war of 1940-1941, during the Second World War)
The cities and towns of Euboea
Instead, here is a list of the most relevant cities and centers present on the island of Euboea.
The city of Chalcis
Chalcis is the most important city of Euboea, with about 100,000 inhabitants within its municipality. In the past, it was called by the Venetians “Negroponte”, a name which they also used to define the rest of the island. The city of Chalcis could have a history that goes back to over 3000 BC. and which certainly has rather ancient roots, being the same mentioned even within the Iliad; the history of Chalcis is certainly linked to the history of the entire Euboea region, which you can read in this quick summary. Chalcis is connected from the rest of Greece via two bridges. Some of the most famous personalities who lived near Chalcis were the philosopher Aristotle, the Venetian explorer, and writer Giovanni Maria Angiolello, Dimitris Mytaras, Georgios Papanikolaou, Nikos Skalkottas.
The city of Eretria
Eretria was one of the most important cities in ancient Greece; located just southeast of Chalcis, it still has some ancient remains that can be visited, including a theater; the surroundings of the area are still inhabited and constitute modern Eretria.
One of the things that can surely be interesting to do in Euboea is to visit the ancient city of Eretria, especially if you are an archeology enthusiast and have a lot of time. Eretria was one of the best-known polis of ancient Greece; endowed with the ruins of a theater and numerous finds, which can still be visited today, he was one of the main actors in support of the anti-Persian revolt of 499 BC. at Mileto; fatally in 490 BC was destroyed by the Persians. Rebuilt, it will be part of the Athenian League and later of the Roman Empire, eventually ending up in the decline of importance due to the swamping of the area; the other historical events that will characterize the entire island of Euboea took hold in the city, including the long period as a Venetian, then Ottoman and finally independent Greek possession. The two most important finds of Eretria concerning the ancient era are probably the two kouroi, visible in the Museum of Chalcis, but numerous (interesting) remains are also visible in the local museum. The surroundings of Eretria are still inhabited, especially in the modern city of Eretria.
As for the new city of Eretria, the walk along the beach promenade is pleasant and it may be an idea to lengthen the step to the island of Πεζονήσι (Pezonísi), reachable on foot thanks to a bridge; another island near Eretria, not reachable on foot, however. In addition to the ancient theater, there is also a tomb from the Macedonian period, called “Tomb of Erote”, as well as the few ruins of the temple of Apollo Daphnephoros. In the archaeological museum of Eretria there are statues of terracotta centaurs, ancient pottery, carved lions, urns, reconstructions and statues, as well as obviously lanterns and tombs. In short, it might be interesting to spend an hour visiting the museum.
The story of Euboea (summary)
The territory of Euboea was populated by the Ionian Greeks, and the main settlements in the area were the cities of Eretria and Chalcis, cities that had an important role also as regards the history of Sicily, as their inhabitants gave great impetus to the colonization of the island and Magna Grecia in general. The two cities of Chalcis and Eretria around the 8th century BC they came into conflict because of the frictions related to the most fertile agricultural possessions, generating a war for the possession of the plain of Lelanto, called “Lelanto’s war” (fought, it is presumed, between 710 and 650 BC). In the war, on the one hand, Chalcis, Samos, and their allies fought, on the other Eretria, Miletus and their respective allies; it is not known who won, rather it is known that the war lasted in a large part of the Mediterranean, well beyond the coast of Euboea, and led both cities to decline and finally to ruin or weakness.
Around the 6th century BC Euboea will become the territory of the Athenians, while after the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC. (fought between the Macedonians and the deployment of Athens, Thebes and poleis allies) and the consequent victory of the Macedonians will become a territory under Macedonian rule; during the 2nd century BC Euboea became Roman territory.
During the Byzantine period, Euboea was less exposed than the other possessions to the fury of the barbarians and the Arab incursions; starting from 1157, however, it will remain involved in clashes with the Italian populations, in particular Sicilians and Venetians.
In 1204 Euboea was sacked by Lombard families after the collapse of the Byzantine empire by the crusaders (during the fourth crusade Constantinople was conquered by the crusaders themselves), falling under the dominion of Bonifacio del Monferrato (in 1205). Euboea was then divided into three baronies, which, however, were not slow in entering the orbit of the influence of Venice, which after establishing a series of commercial bases and support points, will increase its power on the island until it becomes fully owned by him, around 1390.
During 1463-1479 the Venetian possession definitively capitulated due to the power of the Ottoman strikers, led by Mehmed II, as evidenced in greater detail in the work of Vicentino Giovanni Maria Angiolello, called “Report of the Journey of Negroponte”. The Venetians tried to retake Euboea, which was fully considered a Venetian land by the inhabitants of the republic, but in 1688 the efforts of Francesco Morosini and the army following him did not have a definitive result in favor of the Venetians, who withdrew after 3 months; therefore Euboea remained an Ottoman possession. In 1830, after the events of Greek independence in the struggle of the Greek war of independence, it became an official part of present-day Greece.
Typical Euboean cuisine: list of typical dishes
Euboea is an excellent place to make great feasting: the typical dishes are not lacking and are of great taste, in keeping with the Mediterranean tradition. In this article you will learn about 3 typical dishes frequently eaten at Euboea.
The “kourkoubinia”: a traditional sweet Euboean dish
One of the traditional Euboean foods, often consumed during the holidays, especially around Christmas, is kourkoubinia. This dessert, consisting of rolls similar to baklava (a dessert of possible Turkish origin, also widespread in Greece and Eastern Europe), which is fried and seasoned with syrup; often eaten with fresh fruit and in particular with cherries. To prepare the kourkoubinia it is therefore necessary to take some phyllo dough and prepare some phyllo rolls, in which a grain of walnuts or almonds and pistachios must be inserted, together with sweet syrup, oil. Finally, this preparation, rolled with the ingredients inside, must be fried carefully, making sure that the dessert is not burned.
The first Greek par excellence: the moussaka
Moussakà is one of the typical dishes of Euboea, as well as of Greece itself in its entirety: it is a classic dish, highly loved all over the world, also requested in Italy, where it can happen that it is combined with “parmigiana”. The moussaka is made up of aubergines, minced meat and potatoes, together with bechamel; each eggplant constitutes the “sheet” of a layer to be superimposed on each other, inside which the criticized meat and the potato are placed together with the béchamel. Originally, however, the fact that béchamel is needed is disputed, so much so that many recipes rather include the addition of other vegetables such as zucchini and different spices, which do not have béchamel.
The typical Euboea savory pie: the “Kolokifobureko”
A second dish spread in Euboea is “Kolokifobureko”, a sort of zucchini cake, prepared with a mixture of wheat flour, water, oil and salt, with sesame seeds too. Various vegetables such as pumpkin and potato are inserted inside the dough, but also a series of spices such as coriander, ginger, black pepper; finally also the ricotta must be part of the filling.
I recommend, if you try to make this Greek dish at home, abound with spices! This dish is not only present within the island of Euboea: if you are lucky you can also find it in some restaurants in Greece, however it is a niche dish and is not always present on the menus.
What to accompany the typical dishes of Euboea?
Apart from the typical appetizers of Greece (the Mezes) it could be pleasant to accompany the tasting with some typical Euboean wines.
In addition to the typical Euboean dishes listed in this article, it can be a pleasant experience to accompany lunches and dinners with the right wine, cleverly chosen from the local varieties.
Characteristics of the territory where the grapes for Euboean wines are grown
The territory of Euboea is composed of coasts and mountains (Dirfi and Kantili), with an alternation of several plains: it is a complete set of landscapes that opens the territory to numerous cultivation possibilities as regards the production of wine; the climate is in some ways similar to that found in the Cyclades, with pleasantly ventilated heat peaks and a generally dry climate.
The most traditional grape varieties for Euboean wine
The grapes from which the best known local wines of Evia are made are those produced in the plains of Lilantia and Karistos; however, some grape varieties are also important from the rest of Greece eventually or grown in some micro-areas of the island. The most important grape variety among those cultivated in Euboea is certainly Savatiano, which is the major player in the island’s winemaking; however, there are also other Greek varieties rather well known and frequently grown in Euboea, such as Assyrtiko and Roditis, but also Athiri and Liatiko.
The world of Greek wine is much more extensive than we think
Although these represent the varieties that seem to be more popular and numerous along with the Euboean crops, the wines present in this part of Greece do not differ exaggeratedly from those that can also be found in the rest of Greece. Currently, Greece represents one of the key Mediterranean countries for the presence of climates and territories of different and particular varieties, ranging from volcanic islands to the mountains of the interior; this potential referred to the world of wine is to be understood even more amplified if we think of how vast is the set of varieties grown in Greece, as well as the set of typical wines, such as the now well-known Retsina wine, of which there are also productions of high quality and very refined.