of crafts and trade. Revival combats During the Renaissance, Petrich rose to a new life. It fueled a stubborn struggle against Greekism to impose the Bulgarian language in schools and the church. In 1855 a Bulgarian monk from Hilendar was appointed a teacher in the town, who, seeing that no one in Petrich spoke Greek, began teaching in Bulgarian, but was soon dismissed. After 1856 Pancho Popmihov opened a private school, where he taught Greek and Bulgarian. In 1857, with the labor and funds of the entire Christian population of the city, the Church of the Assumption was built. A service in Greek was introduced in the temple, and a Greek school was opened in its yard. It is housed in the house of Ivan Popmanolev, donated by his wife to the Church of the Assumption. Climate The climate of Petrich is mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa) with an average annual temperature of 15.6 °C (60 °F). The town experiences some continental influence, especially in winter, which is cool, but warm for Bulgarian standards. Petrich is the sunniest city in Bulgaria slightly ahead of Sandanski with yearly sunshine hours exceeding 2,700 on average. Summer is hot and sunny and it is the longest season in Petrich, lasting from May through September, even as late as October. The average summer temperature is around 25 °C. In July, the sunniest month, Petrich receives 373 hours of sunshine, making it one of the sunniest places in Continental Europe. Winter season, around two months, starts in late December and lasts until early February. Average winter temperature is one of the highest in the country with average around 5 °C. In December, the darkest month, there are 103 hours of sunshine, on average. Climate table: Economy The town is an agricultural centre for fruit, vegetables and tobacco. It has three factories, making water level detectors, details for cranes and a furniture factory. Broadcasting station There is a 500 kW mediumwave broadcasting station working on 747 kHz. It uses as antenna a 205-metre-tall guyed mast insulated with an additional cage antenna. This mast was built in 1977. International relations Twin towns - Sister cities Serres, Greece Gallery References External links Petrich.bg Petrich, information and photos Petrich municipality at Domino.bg Guide to Petrich municipality – cities, villages, regions Towns in Bulgaria Populated places in Blagoevgrad Province Bulgaria–North Macedonia border crossings