Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Peloponnesus

Vathia - or Vatheia - is a traditional village in the southernmost tip of the Mani peninsula on the Peloponnese. The village was built from the mid 16th century. In the 19th century the village had about 300 inhabitants, who were mainly farmers and the olive harvest was their main occupation. At the beginning of the 20th century the inhabitants left the village due to poverty and at the end of the eighties of the last century there were hardly any people living there. Nowadays Vathia - often called a ghost town - is almost completely uninhabited. It has about 90 typical tower houses with the typical architecture of the Mani; most of them are empty and partly dilapidated, but in the meantime some have been renovated. The tower houses in Vathia are built like fortresses with two or three floors. The people, at one time, fiercely guarded their land and livelihoods, either from foreign invaders or rival families. The fortress-like houses provided the ideal opportunity to keep a lookout in the case of a potential invasion. The head of each household was considered to be a ‘mini warlord’, who had the interests of the family at the center of his concerns. The fierceness of the people, the rugged terrain and the strategic location of the tower houses helped keep Mani (and Vathia) free from invaders and it even maintained its independence from the Ottoman Empire.. Vathia is built on a hill top in the middle of an impressive landscape with beautiful sea views. It is located halfway between Areopoli and Cape Tenaro.

Lagia is a village in southeast Mani with some stone mansions and a Greek Orthodox Church on the main square. The Church of the Assumption ( Εκκλησία Κοίμησεως της Θεοτόκου ) is built on a slope. Through the door in the tower one will reach a kind of balcony, which gives a view on the beautiful frescoes on the walls and ceiling. A staircase leads to the ground floor of this remarkable village church. The church was constructed about 200 years ago with the full participation of local men and women, with building materials gathered from the surrounding mountains.

The Pantanassa (“Queen of All”) Monastery is the only monastery on the archaeological site of Mystras ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49139868 ), which is still inhabited. This sacred monastery was founded by a chief minister of the late Byzantine Despotate of the Morea, and was dedicated in September 1428. The domed church with its tall bell tower reflect a unique combination of Byzantine and gothic styles; it has a beautifully ornate stone-carved facade. The arched interior is filled with colourful frescoes. When we arrived at the monastery after a steep climb, one of the friendly and helpful nuns welcomed us with a glass of cool water, a very sweet loukoumia and provided us with a wrap to cover our legs. We were surprised by the idyllic patio with lots of flowers and green plants. Pantanassa Monastery is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mystras.

Lagia is a village in southeast Mani with some stone mansions and a Greek Orthodox Church on the main square. The church is built on a slope. Through the door in the tower one will reach a kind of balcony, which gives a view on the beautiful frescoes on the walls and ceiling. A staircase leads to the ground floor of this remarkable village church. Sorry but I couldn’t find more information about this church.

When hearing or reading the words Corinth Canal, almost everyone has in front of them the image of the straight canal with its steep, almost perpendicular walls (PiP4) and the bridges connecting the two banks high above the water. But at the western end of the canal close to Corinth it looks very different; no high cliffs and an almost flat landscape and a ‘sinking’ bridge, connecting Corinth/Poseidonia with Loutraki. The bridge - like the one at the other end of the canal near Isthmia - was constructed in 1988. The bridge lowers its deck 8 meters below water level, permitting waterborne traffic to use the waterway. We had to wait some time, because ships can only pass through the canal on a one-way system. The waiting was rewarded with a spectacular view of the subducting and rising bridge. After that we could cross the bridge on our way to Loutraki (PiP3).

The Holy Temple of the Diocese of Tegea - dedicated to the Assumption of Mary - is located at one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. The human presence was consistent, there are ancient findings, Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine. Remnants of a middle-ages castle have also survived. Essentially it is an enormous open archaeological site shaded by tall trees in a green park. The original Byzantine church must have been built in the 11th or 12th century. It was the cathedral of the medieval town of Niklio. The church seems to have been built above the ancient theatre of Tegea, with materials taken both from the theatre and other nearby buildings, such as the early-Christian churches and the medieval wall that used to stand there. After the decline of Tegea and its destructions by wars and earthquakes, the church remained in ruins until the 19th century. It was restored in the period 1884-1888 based on the study of the Austrian architect Ernst Ziller. Due to this restoration, the upper parts of the monument have been altered. The church was not signposted and it took some effort to find its location. Unfortunately it turned out to be closed and there was no one who could help us with a key. As a result we were unable to see (and photograph) the interior with the religious paintings.

Areopoli is a quaint traditional village in the central part of Mani, located at the feet of the Agios Elias mountain. The village is considered being one of the prettiest in Greece. Originally its name was Tsimova, but in 1836 it was renamed Areopoli, after “Ares”, the god of war, to commemorate its role in the Greek War of Independence. Areopoli played a very important role in the Greek liberation fight. On the square of the village, on March 17 of the year 1821, the people of Mani raised the banner signifying the start of the revolution against the Turkish occupation. The flag of the National uprising in Areopoli, nowadays is a relic on display in the National Historical Museum of Athens. Through the years Areopoli developed into a commercial centre of importance for the entire area. It is the ‘capital’ of Mani. The village offers a small historical center with stone built houses and some of the traditional Mani-tower houses (built for social and defensive reasons). Along the main street one comes across the dual churches of Panagia and Charalambos (main image).

Acrocorinth was the fortified acropolis (“upper city”) of both Ancient and Medieval Corinth. It was built on a steep, rocky hill 575 meters high at the highest peak. Acrocorinth is a typical example of castle architecture built in successive phases. Three successive defensive walls lead via an equal number of gates to the interior, covering 240.000 square meters. The ruins of the temple of Aphrodite (5th-4th century BC), several Christian churches, a Byzantine underground cistern, mosques, fountains etc. still survive. The perimeter walls have a length of 3.000 meters, making it the largest fortress in the Peloponnesos. The first phase in the history of the walls dates to the 7th-6th century BC, which was a time of prosperity for the city of Corinth. In 146 BC the walls were destroyed by the Romans. Substantial efforts at fortification were made in the Middle Byzantine period (8th-12th century). In the year of 1210 the castle was taken by the Franks. Over the following centuries numerous repairs and improvements were made, by both the Franks and the Palaeologi, at a time when the city of Corinth seems to have moved inside the castle. Works were also carried out by the Ottoman conquerors and by the Venetians, who reinforced parts of the walls during the second Venetian occupation (1687-1715). More recently, there was a German garrison stationed there during World War II invasion of Greece from May 1941. Nowadays Acrocorinth is not only a particularly interesting archaeological site. Most of the current towers and walls are medieval, but built on ancient foundations. Due to its location it also offers uninterrupted panoramic views across Ancient Corinth , the new coastal city of Corinth and the Corinthian Gulf.

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth is one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece. It is the most important monument in the old city. The temple was built around 560 BC of local limestone on top of a low hill and dominates the archaeological site. The Temple of Apollo was a symbol for Corinth, reflecting its growth and prosperity. The temple once had 42 monolithic, limestone columns (6×15), which were more than 7 meters high. Its central structure was divided into three rooms. When the city of Corinth was refounded by the Romans the Temple of Apollo was renovated in order to house the cult of the Emperor. In the Byzantine era a basilica was built on the northeast part of the temple hill. In the Ottoman period, the eastern part of the temple was demolished and a new residence of the local Turkish Bey was built. Today there are only seven standing columns and its foundations are preserved, yet the monument is the emblem of the Archaeological Site of Ancient Corinth.

(Ancient) Corinth was first inhabited in the Neolithic period (5000-3000 BC). The peak period of the town started in the 8th century BC. Representative of its wealth is the Temple of Apollo, built in 550 BC. The city was situated Isthmus of Corinth, which connects the Peloponnese with central Greece and which also separates the Saronic and Corinthian Gulfs from each other. Its position gave Corinth great strategic and commercial importance in ancient times. It therefore developed into a healthy commercial, political and industrial city state. The Romans destroyed Ancient Corinth in 146 BC, but it was later restored by Julius Caesar. The city was re-inhabited in 44 B.C. and gradually developed again.The centre of the Roman city was organized to the south of the temple of Apollo and included shops, small shrines, fountains, baths and other public buildings. The invasion of the Herulians in the year of 267, initiated the decline of the city, though it remained inhabited for many centuries through successive invasions and destructions, until it was liberated from the Turks in 1822. First excavations were conducted in 1892.The systematic excavations of the area started 1896 and are still continuing today. They have brought to light the agora, temples, fountains, shops, porticoes, baths and various other monuments. The finds are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum (PiP5) inside the archaeological site of Ancient Corinth.

Neokastro (also called Niokastro or New Navarino) is a fortress built on a hill above the town of Pylos. It was built in 1573 by the Turks, who kept it under their control for more than a century. The construction of the fortification started immediately after the defeat of the Ottoman fleet in the Naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The Ottoman dominance was followed by Venetian rule (1686-1715). The final liberation came with the Greek War of Independence in 1821. Neokastro was built in order to guard and protect the southern entrance of the Bay of Navarino and defend the port and the region. The castle was highly developed and equipped compared to the old castle, intending to fully exploit the cannons, while simultaneously ensuring the greatest possible protection of the inner settlement and the fortification itself from hostile fires. The robust fortress is considered being one of the best preserved castles in Greece. An abundance of architectural elements and the buildings themselves that are enclosed in its walls. Among others it features structures added during Venetian rule, traces of the 1821 Greek War of Independence and reminders of its use as a prison during World War II. The church of the Transfiguration of Christ was constructed in the 16th century as a mosque, but served as a church both during Venetian rule of the city and then again since independence. The acropolis of the castle has six walled sides and ramparts, offering a magnificent panorama of the Navarino Bay. Nowadays the complex houses Pylos' impressive archaeological museum in the former General Maison barrack and interesting displays on underwater archaeology.

Olympia was the site of the ancient Olympic Games, which were celebrated every four years, starting in 776 BCE. Olympia is situated in a valley in Elis, in western Peloponnesus. The site was not a town, but only a sanctuary with buildings associated with games and the worship of the gods. The sanctuary - originally known as the Altis - was a level area, about 200 meters long by nearly 180 meters broad. It was walled on each side, except to the north where it was bounded by Mount Kronos. The Altis consists of a somewhat disordered arrangement of buildings, the most important of which were the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Zeus, the area of the great altar of Zeus, the votive buildings and buildings associated with the administration of the games. The Philippeion (main image and PiP1) - the only structure inside the Altis dedicated to a human - was a circular memorial for king Philip II of Macedonia. Outside the Altis were the stadium (PiP2) and the hippodrome, where the Olympic Games took place, the palaestra/wrestling school (PiP3), the gymnasium, where all competitors were obliged to train for at least one month and the leonidaion (PiP4), lodging place for athletes taking part in the Olympic Games. Excavations of the archaeological site began in 1829 and many valuable objects were discovered, which can be seen in the nearby museum. According to UNESCO’s World Heritage website, there is probably no ancient archaeological site anywhere in the world more relevant in today’s world than Olympia. The Olympic flame - a symbol of the modern Olympic movement, introduced for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam - is lit in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera in Olympia (PiP5).

The Hodegetria church was founded by abbot Pachomios of the Brontochion Monastery in Mystras ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49139868 ). It was built between 1310 and 1315 as the katholikon (main church). The monastery acquired many resources in the area of Sparta and elsewhere in the Peloponnese and was so wealthy that the new church was referred by the local people as the Aphentiko (“head man” or “boss”). A new architectural type, the so-called “Mystras mixed type”, was created for the first time in this church. Its ground floor takes the form of a three-aisled basilica, while at the gallery level it has features of the more complex five domed cross-square church. The church also has a fine bell tower. Beautiful frescoes, comparable to frescoes in Constantinople, decorate the church. A Hodegetria or Virgin Hodegetria, is an iconographic depiction of Virgin Mary, holding the Child Jesus at her side while pointing to Him as the source of salvation for humankind. In the Western Church this type of icon is sometimes called “Our Lady of the Way”. Hodegetria church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mystras.

The Mitropolis (Cathedral of Agios Dimitrios) is considered being the most important church of Mystras ( www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/49139868 ). The church is part of a complex of buildings enclosed by a high wall. The original church was founded in the late 13th century as a wooden roofed basilica. The cathedral has a mixed architectural style: it combines the groundplan of a Roman basilica with a Greek domed church, which was added in the first half of the 15th century. The church - the oldest of the surviving churches of Mystras - stands in a courtyard. Its impressive ecclesiastical ornaments and furniture include a marble iconostasis, an intricately carved wooden throne, and a marble slab in the floor featuring a two-headed eagle (the symbol of Byzantium) located on the exact site where Emperor Constantine XI Palaeologos was crowned in 1448 (PiP 5). The church also has some fine frescoes, dating back to late 13th and early 14th centuries. Next to the cathedral is a small museum, depicting fragments of ancient cloths, buttons, jewellery and other everyday items.

In the year of 1249 the French crusader “Guillaume II de Villehardouin” built a fortress on a spur of Mount Taygetos, that came to be known as Mystras. At the foot of the fortress the inhabitants of Sparta soon settled - counting on the protection of the bourgeois - creating a new town. Ten years later “De Villehardouin” was captured by the Byzantines and as a ransom he had to hand over his possessions in the Mórea - as the Peloponnesos was then called - to Emperor Michaël Palaeologos. Mystras came under Byzantine rule and the city expanded rapidly. In its heyday there were 42.000 people living in the walled city. From 1350 to 1460 it was the residence of the Byzantine governor - called the despot - who was always the son or brother of the reigning emperor. The despots of the Despotate of the Morea decorated the city with churches, monasteries and palaces and made Mystras a centre of culture, where the decline of Constantinople was followed at a safe distance. In 1448 the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine XI Palaeologos, was crowned here. From 1460 to 1687 the Ottomans ruled, then the Venetians (1687 - 1715) and then again the Ottomans (1715 - 1821). The city had to endure several sieges, but the fatal blow came in 1770. During the chaos that followed the Orlofika - a Greek uprising on the Peloponnesos against Ottoman rule - the Turks sent out unregulated Albanian hordes to teach the Greeks a lesson. These looting gangs also entered Mystras and destroyed the city. This looting and the devastation during the Greek War of Independence meant the end of Mystras. Most of the inhabitants then moved to (new) Sparta, which had been built by order of the first Greek king Otto I. Nowadays Mystras is a late Byzantine ghost town, although it also has a monastery where still nuns are living. The palace and quite a lot of churches are beautifully restored and without any doubt worth a visit. In 1989 the ruins, including the fortress, palace, churches, and monasteries, were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We were driving from Leonidio through the gorge of the river Dafnon, when after numerous bends suddenly the majestic Monastery of Panagia Elona appeared. It is situated on a kind of hanging balcony on a steep reddish coloured cliff of Mount Parnon at an altitude of 650 metres. The history of the monastery begins in the 14th century. Shepherds saw a light in an inaccessible part of the cliff. This light, according to the legend, emanated from an oil lamp lit in front of an icon of St. Panagia. The bishop commissioned two hermits from the area to settle at the site, where they then built a small monastery with two cells. The present monastery was built in the middle of the 17th century, but it looks considerably more modern; devastating raids and fires caused that entire parts of the monastery had to be rebuilt several times. Panagia Elona played an important role in Greek War of Independence of 1821, both with money and by gathering weapons and hiding the Greek independence fighters. At the beginning of 1900 the monastery was one of the richest monasteries of the Peloponnese. Since 1970 Panagia Elona is a nunnery; during our visit in 2017 just five nuns were still living there. The white buildings with their cells seem to be stuck against the multicoloured rock wall (PiP1). The current church was built in 1809 (PiP2). Outside it looks quite simple, but inside it is stunningly beautiful. We were welcomed by a very friendly monk, who turned out to be a kind of keeper for the elderly nuns. He showed us around and told a lot about the religious artworks, like the sculpted wood iconostasis (PiP3) and the several icons. Among them an icon of “Our Lady Elona” (PiP4), which is believed being Apostle Luke’s work (one of the 70 icons that he painted).

We did read about the stunning frescoes in the Byzantine Church of Agios Nikolaos - 4 km from Liotrivi - and wanted to visit them. First of all it was quite a job to find this small village, because it was not very well signposted. After arriving in the picturesque village with just of couple old stone houses, we couldn’t miss the church with its beautiful architecture on the central square. Unfortunately the door of the church turned out to be closed. Although a couple of villagers tried to help, the door remained closed and we missed the frescoes.

Vathia - or Vatheia - is a traditional village in the southernmost tip of the Mani peninsula on the Peloponnese. The village was built from the mid the 16th century, but only in the 18th and 19th century real economic prosperity has come. At that time the village had about 300 inhabitants, who were mainly farmers and the olive harvest was their main occupation. At the beginning of the 20th century the inhabitants left the village due to poverty and at the end of the eighties of the last century there were hardly any people living there. Nowadays Vathia - often called a ghost town - is almost completely uninhabited. It has about 90 typical tower houses with the typical architecture of the Mani; most of them are empty and partly dilapidated, but in the meantime some have been renovated. The tower houses in Vathia are built like fortresses with two or three floors. The people, at one time, fiercely guarded their land and livelihoods, either from foreign invaders or rival families. The fortress-like houses provided the ideal opportunity to keep a lookout in the case of a potential invasion. The head of each household was considered to be a ‘mini warlord’, who had the interests of the family at the center of his concerns. The fierceness of the people, the rugged terrain and the strategic location of the tower houses helped keep Mani (and Vathia) free from invaders and it even maintained its independence from the Ottoman Empire.. Vathia is built on a hill top in the middle of an impressive landscape with beautiful sea views. It is located halfway between Aeropoli and Cape Tenaro.