History of the city of Negotino

This beautiful town in the Vardar valley has rich and interesting past. The settlement existed and developed in the antique period, about the third century BC, under the name of Antigonia or Antigonea. It was founded by the Macedonian king Antigon Gonat, in the period between 278-242 BC. After conquering Peonia, he conquered the setlments araound the middle part of the river Vardar. In his name, the settlment that he founded was called Antigonia (Antigonea).The material data and the legends say that Antigonia, predecessor of Negotino, was situated 12 Roman miles south from the antique town Stobi, on the road to Thesaloniki, at the today's place of Gradiste, by the railway station of Negotino. At this place coins with faces of Roman smperors were found, as well as precious jewelry and other archeological findings from the period of Roman and Byzantium reign. The ancient town existed until the VI century when it was destroyed by a disastrous earthquake which hit almost all of the territory of Macedonia. It was then the other antique towns were also destroyed by the catastrophe: Skupi, Stobi, Heraklea, Astibo, Idomena...In X and XI century Negotino was part of the First Macedonian independent country - country of Tsar Samuil.(Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image)