The area of Larissa was home to the
Pelasgians until they merged into the broader
Greek culture. The area was invaded and was ruled by the
Kingdom of Macedonia a few centuries later, and was conquered by the
Roman Republic after the
Third Macedonian War. The
Roman imperial period was followed by
Byzantine rule, which was in turn succeeded by the
Ottoman Empire. Parts of Thessaly revolted during the
Greek War of Independence, but Thessaly remained under Ottoman Turkish rule. It was awarded to Greece in the
Congress of Berlin in 1878, and finally incorporated into the
Hellenic Kingdom in 1881, albeit parts of the modern Larissa prefecture, including
Tyrnavos,
Elassona and
Sarantaporo, remained Ottoman. During the
Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the area was successfully invaded by the Ottomans, but in the end Greece conceded only minor territorial losses. The northern portions of the prefecture, the
Tempe Valley and
Mount Olympus, were taken by Greece during the
First Balkan War in 1912-1913. The economy increased since the annexation in 1881 and later after 1913 for the north. After the
Greco-Turkish War in Asia Minor of 1920-1922, refugees were relocated to the Prefecture. Several villages were created for them across the prefecture. During
World War II, the area was a major scene of
partisan activity. The occupation and the subsequent
Greek Civil War however destroyed most of the local infrastructure. From the 1950s on, the road network was significantly expanded: the
EO1 was opened in 1957 and extended in the 1960s to the Tempe Valley. In 1984, the
University of Thessaly opened its doors. ==Economy==