Surrounded by mountains, on the northern edge of Crisaean Plain, stands the town of Amfissa. Its name derives possibly from Amfissa, daughter of the mythical Aeolus, son of the god Poseidon; or possibly from the verb amfiennymi (literally, to surround), as it is surrounded by the mountain ranges of Giona and Parnassos. Its rich history begins in ancient times when it was an important city-state and a significant commercial center.
Destroyed In 338 BC by Philip II of Macedon, it was later colonized by the Aetolians. During this period it enjoyed its greatest prosperity. In the late Byzantine era, it fell under the domination of Western powers, and was renamed Salona. During the liberation struggle of 1821, it was among the first cities in Greece to rise up, introducing great revolutionary heroes such as Athanasios Diakos and Yannis Makriyannis. Amfissa, today the capital of  Fokida, has well-organized infrastructure (schools, universities, parks, museums) and is famous for its remarkable cultural events (the Fokika and the Carnival festivities).