Servia, Greece
town in Kozani regional unit, Greece
Servia (Greek: Σέρβια, romanized: Sérvia) is one of the main towns in the Kozani regional unit, West Macedonia, Greece. It is one of the most historical places in the region, with a 6th-century Byzantine castle and the Kamvounia mountain dominating the landscape. There are also a number of 10th century Byzantine cave hermitages and small churches located nearby, which add to the Byzantine atmosphere of the area.
Since the local government reform of 2019, it is the seat of the extended municipality of Servia. From 2011 to 2019, the town was the seat of the Municipality of Servia-Velventos. The town itself has a population of 3,174 people (2021 census). The municipal unit Servia has an area of 400.116 km2, the community (the town proper) has an area of 51.603 km2.
Etymology
Its name derives from the Latin verb servo, meaning "to watch over" or from the ethnonym "Serb", replacing what is thought to be the ancient name of the town Phylacae (Greek: Φυλακαί, romanized: Phylakaí) from the Greek verb φυλάσσω (phylásso) "to watch over".
The ancient name of the town of Servia is also mentioned by Roman writer Pliny the Elder as well as on an Ancient Greek inscription found at the city of Veroia which reads: "Παρμενίων Γλαυκία Φυλακήσιος νικητής εν Δολίχω" (Parmeníon Glafkía Phylakísios nikitís en Dolícho), i.e. "Parmenion son of Glauceas from Phylacae winner at Doliche".
“Servia, Greece” enters the record as town in Kozani regional unit, Greece. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Servia, Greece and town can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Servia, Greece” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Servia, Greece and town provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1711138. VIAF identifies the subject as 25144648230089744299. Authority coordinates are 40.184, 22.002. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2019, 2011 and 2021.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Servia, Greece” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.