Description : Kato Achaia (Greek: Κάτω Αχαΐα) is a town and a community in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality West Achaea, of which it is the seat of administration. The community Kato Achaia consists of the town Kato Achaia and the villages Alykes, Manetaiikia, Paralia Kato Achaias and Piso Sykea. Nearby are the ruins of the ancient city of Dyme. The town of Achaia was probably founded after the extinction and desolation of Dymi (27 BC). The first nucleus of the new city seems to have been the Roman colony. The city of Achaia developed considerably in the 4th century AD. In 344 AD most probably the seat of the Bishop was Achaia (Olenos). Bishop Plutarch of Achaia is mentioned In Byzantine times it was a small town. In 1147 AD the Norman invaders, after destroying Patras and all of Western Achaia, took 15,000 prisoners and transported them to Lower Italy and Sicily, to teach silk cultivation and silk processing. At that time the city of Achaia was also called Moreas. On May 1, 1205, the Frankish conquering knights led by Geoffrey Villehardouin landed in Achaia, in the bay of Alyki. They stayed for a few days in Achagia, built a fortress with bricks from the ancient and Roman ruins and then recruited the inhabitants and marched against Andravida and later against Patras and Corinth. The emperors of Constantinople John I (1417-1418) and Constantine IAD (1427-1430) had K. Achaia and the surrounding areas of Riolo, Arla, Fostaina as a base in the war against the Franks. In fact, he spent the night in Kato Achaia on June 3, 1429. The seat of Constantine IAI was Santaneri, where his wife Theodora died of dystocia. In 1447 the Turks occupied Achaia and destroyed it. In 1458 the Turks came for the second time under the leadership of Muhammad himself. In March 1460, Thomas Palaiologos besieged the Turks in Achaia and bombed its fortress. In the same year, Muhammad himself destroyed Achaia. The Venetians had Achaia as an administrative and commercial center (1687-1715). In 1770 the Turkalvans destroyed Achaia. The inhabitants left for the mountains and later built Ano Achaia. However, Ano Achaia may have been built from the Byzantine era on the ruins of Teithea.
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