Photos

VERIA

The capital of the second city in central Macedonia after Thesaloniki, Veria , is build in the eastern slopes of the Vermion mountain. The town is ancient in origin and appeared in historical texts arounf the 5th century BC.

There are various myths about the origin of the name Veria. The most popular explanation is the one says that the name comes from the nymph Veri, the daughter of Ocean and Thetis, who after being born in the sea kingdom of her parents started wandering around and was so enchanted from this region that chose it as her abode and gave it her name.

Nearby are the ruins of the Vergina palace used by King Philip and his son, Alexander the Great. During 154 BC, the Romans took it over and it lived through a period of great splendor. At around 54AD, the Apostle Paul passed through here and brought Christianity with him. In evidence is Vima, the square where he spoke. Veria became part of Greece in 1912.