The palace of Nestoras, was discovered and searched in 1939 and is found in the
region "Eglianos" 4 km south of the borough of Chora. It is a piece of work dating back to the 13th century B.C.It
consists of five main buildings which take up such a large area that it can only be compared, to the palaces of Mycaenae and
Tiryntha.
In two small rooms of the central building there have been found 1250 signs with writing in Grammiki B, one
of the oldest kinds of Greek writing. The palace was destroyed by fire at 1200 B.C approximately, when the palaces of Mycaenae
and Tiryntha were burnt down too, for unknown reasons. The extended area around the hill of Eglianos, which was taken up by
the palace of Nestoras as well as the royal domed tomb has been formed and welcomes the visits of many tourists.
The temple of Epicurius Apollo
The temple
of Epicurius Apollo stands at a height of 1130m on mount Kotilio, 14km south of Andritsaina. The temple of Apollo in the sanctuary
at Bassai is one of the best-preserved monuments of the ancient Classical world and was added to Unesco's World Heritage List
in 1986. It was built from 420 to 400 BC on the site of an earlier,
archaic temple. It is believed that the temple was built in honour of Epicurius Apollo, as gratitude for saving their town
from a plague. The traveller Pausanias, states that its architect was Iktinos , who was also the architect of the Parthenon
in Athens. The temple is the first nearly complete temple still surviving that combines all three architectural styles: Doric,
Ionian and Corinthian. It is orientated north to south.
Olympia
Olympia is one of the most important sanctuaries of antiquity, dedicated to Olympian Zeus. Olympia is the birthplace
of the Olympic Games and also where they were held. The area, of great natural beauty,in the late Mycenaean period became
a religious centre. The sanctuary of Olympia spreads around the green
wooded feet of the Kronion hill, where the rivers Alpheios and Cladeos meet. The Altis is the name given to the area in Olympia
that comprises the main religious buildings, temples and votive offerings of the sanctuary. Out of the enclosure were the
auxiliary buildings, priests' houses, baths, the areas for the preparation of the athletes, guest houses along with other
buildings.
Ancient Messini
The settlement
was built at the feet of the mountain of Ithomi in 369 B.C. It was erected as a shelter for the settlement of refugees from
Messinia and Arkadia and in order to create a powerful city to counterbalance the sovereignty of Sparta. The city was protected by a circular symmetrical wall built with huge stones and its perimeter extended for 9,024
m. In terms of structure the wall is considered to be one of the best examples of architecture and fortification of the fourth
century B.C. with two gates; the eastern, the Lakoniki and the north-western, the Arkadiki. In the archaeological site there
is the Asklaepeio, holy sanctuaries of Poseidon, Aphrodite and Demeter, Lafias Artemidos, Elitheias, the Dioskouri, a monument
to honor Aristomenis, the Gymnasium and the Sevasteio or Kesharion, a building dedicated (from 14 A.D) to the worship of Roman
emperors. Skeletons of Synedrio, Alexandrianis era and Ierothisiou have been found close to the Agora as well as statues of
all the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and ruins of the theatre, and of the Vouleftirio and the stadium. It was the
capital of the federation of messinian cities (338-191 B.C) and reached its heyday during the Achaic and Aetolic confederacy.
Mystras
Following the road from Sparta
you reach Mystras- The Medieval State. On the naturally defended hill of Myzithras, the ruler of the Frankish Principate of
Achaia Guillaume de Villehardouin built in 1249 a strong medieval castle the "Oriokastro" which was to play an important
role in the history of the last centuries of the Byzantine Empire. In 1262 the Byzantines made themselves masters of Mystras
, inaugurating a brilliant period for the medieval fortress-state.
Mystras became the seat of the Byzantine commander
of the Peloponnese. Houses were built, a Metropolis, monasteries, palaces and ramparts. During these years Mystras experienced
its greatest peak. An intellectual centre developed were personalities in the arts and letters brought from the capital of
the Empire, which was then in decline congregated.
During the 1821 Revolution Ibrahem set fire to the place. By the
time king Othon came and built new Sparta, Mystras was already dead. The gloomy world of the ruins remained as a testimony
of a state which in its day constituted the unique hope of the revival of an empire which was slowly dying and which is today
the sole example of a medieval settlement with its castle, the fortification walls encircling it, its palaces, churches and
mansions.
The Castle Of Koroni
The
castle of Koroni is erected in the south part of the city of Koroni. In the classical years it was a simple, plain fort but
it later became a Byzantine fort, which was conquered by the Franks (the French) of the 4th crusade in 1205. The castle is
ruined today but, the convent of holy John the Baptist, the ruined Byzantine temple of St. Sophia, the church of St. Haralambos
and the "RESAPTO", a place to honour the Greek fighters who tried to conquer the castle in 1824, are preserved.
In addition, the hewn tombs, Venectian reservoirs, Turkish baths and the magnificent "domes" are preserved. In every
corner of the castle there is a "dome", that is, a gunpowder storehouse or bizihanes, while the best "dome"
was blown up the Germans in 1944 during their withdrawal.
The
Castle Of Kyparissia
The castle which constituted the
acropolis of ancient Kyparissia was built in the Upper Part of the Kyparissia and overlooked the blue endlessness of the Ionian
sea as well as the tame valley.
We don't know when the Castle Of Kyparissia was built but the Lower Walls have been built
according to the symmetrical style of fortification which constitutes a sign of mycaenaic style architecture, while during
the Byzantine years, and under Justinian's ruling, the castle is restored and on the four corners, four turrets were built
from which only the eastern one is saved.
The Castle Of Methoni
The castle of Methoni is at the southernmost point of the west coast of the Peloponnese in a place which had been
fortified since the 7th century B.C. Until 1204 A.D. it was used as a fort for the Byzantines while in 1209 A.D. the Eneti,
who become the lords of the area and establish Methoni as a financial center and a commercial port when the castle meets with
great development, is fortified and is built according to Venetian architecture. In the castle there are remnants of urban
and ecclesiastic structures, the ruins of the byzantine church of St. Sophia, the ruins of Turkish baths, the ruins of a building
which was used as a shelter as well as the church of the Transformation of our Saviour which was built in 1833. To the south
of the castle and on a small island, there is Bourtzi, which is an octagon fort with symmetrical walls.
Niokastro at Pylos
There are two castles by the bay of Navarino and close to the city of Pylos; the newer castle of Navarino or Niokastro,
and the Frank the Paliokastro or Palionavarino (Palio = old).The re-erected hexagonal fort of Niokastro is used today as a
Museum and Centre for Submarine(=Enalion) Archaeological Research.
The castle is divided in two parts. The Compound-Lower
castle is the bigger of the two parts and spreads on the slope of the hill and its perimeter is 1566 m.
The Upper castle
is an hexagonal fort with strong ramparts and projecting bastions which cover five out of its six corners. The church of the
transformation of the Saviour; Cross-shaped church with a gothic-style dome which was built by the Franks. It functioned as
a Muslim mosque first and subsequently as a Christian Church.
General Mezon's building is a rectangular two-storey building,
with stones of the early 19th century, in which, after its restoration, there is a museum and offices.
The
Castle Of Kalamata
It is situated behind the north
part of the church of the Candlemas of our Saviour and it is believed that it's where the Acropolis of the homeric (1580-1120
B.C) and classical Faron (palace of Ortilohos and later Diokles) was. The medieval castle was built by Godefredo Villeardouino
in 1205 A.D. and underwent many alterations in construction and additions by its subsequent lords; the Byzantines of Mystras,
the Turks and the Eneti of Morozini. The entrance is dominated by the lion of St. Mark, a sample of the Eneti era, while in
and around the castle have been found ostraka (fragments)and remains of the Mycaenean and Roman years as well as tombs of
the hellenistic and roman era. On the north side there is a small byzantine temple and it has been speculated that it was
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary the Kalomata, after which, according to some, Kalamata was named.
