Peloponeso · Greece
In the destination Peloponeso.
In the photo: Monemvasia
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
Monemvasia is an entire walled medieval town clinging to a rock in the sea, in the southeast of the Peloponeso, connected to the mainland by a narrow bridge closed to cars. Founded in the 6th century by refugees from Esparta and contested by Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans, it has a main stone street, stepped alleys, dozens of churches and restored houses turned into guesthouses. On the top of the rock, the upper town in ruins shelters the Byzantine church of Agia Sofia. It is about 4½ hours from Athens and 1½ hours from Esparta and Mystras.
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The local experience
The walled lower town of Monemvasia, clinging to a sea rock and closed to cars: a main stone street, alleys, restored Byzantine and Venetian houses, forty churches and the wall with a gate to the sea.
Byzantine church from the 12th century on the edge of the cliff, atop the rock, amid the ruined upper town: a dome with 16 windows, frescoes and, around it, cisterns, walls and a 300-meter view over the sea.
The central square of the lower town, with the metropolitan church of Christos Elkomenos, originating in the 6th century with a separate bell tower, and opposite it the Ottoman mosque of 1540 that houses the Monemvasia archaeological collection.
Byzantine town in ruins on the slope of Taígeto, 8 km from Esparta and about 95 km from Monemvasia: Frankish castle of 1249 at the top, Palácio dos Déspotas, churches with frescoes and the monastery of Pantanassa, still inhabited by nuns. World Heritage.
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