Tag Archive for: Byzantine

Frescoes in the Perivleptos Monastery of Mystras

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Frescoes in Mystras, Peloponnese

The foundation for the city was laid in the 13th century with the construction of Mystras fortress on the Greek Peloponnese peninsula. The city experienced its great boom under Byzantine rule in the 14th and 15th centuries, when most of the cross-domed churches still worth seeing today were built and adorned with elaborate frescoes, such as those in the Perivleptos Monastery. This is just one of the preserved structures scattered across the entire hillside – the oldest church in Mystras, Mitropolis, the still-inhabited Pantanassa Monastery, the Evangelistria Church, and so on.

View from Mystras of the Plain of Sparta

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View from Mystras to the plain of Sparta

I got up early to tackle the steep climb up the eastern foothills of the Taygetus Mountains, whose peaks rise to over 2500 m, to reach the former Byzantine ‘great city’ of Mystras in time for sunrise. Soon, the sun’s first rays illuminated a magnificent scene: the ruined city and the Laconian plain with the famous city of Sparta on the Greek Peloponnese peninsula. The Taygetus Mountains offer numerous impressive hikes, which can now be combined with medieval history and culture – impressive frescoes and buildings have been preserved or restored – as well as enjoying Greek hospitality.

The ruined city of Mystras, Peloponnese

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Ruined city of Mystras, Peloponnese

On the last foothills of the Taygetus mountains towards the plain of Sparta in the south of the Greek Peloponnese peninsula lies Mystras, the former Byzantine fortress. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the city had up to 40,000 inhabitants; today, significantly fewer people live in the neighbouring village. The buildings are scattered across the entire mountainside right up to the castle. Many restored frescoes and churches from the Byzantine period are still preserved.

In the upper town of Monemvasia, Peloponnese

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View from the upper town in Monemvasia to the Laconian coast

A steep climb from the medieval lower town leads to the citadel of Monemvasia on the rocky plateau, about 300 metres above sea level. The town on the rock, just a few hundred metres off the coast, was once known as the Gibraltar of Greece. While numerous buildings in the lower town have been restored, the upper town is characterised by ruins, foundations, vaults and cisterns. The plateau is overgrown with typical Mediterranean vegetation and its spicy scent, through which numerous beaten tracks wind. In return, the view of the Laconian coast in the southeast of the Peloponnese peninsula is breathtakingly beautiful.

Taverna in Monemvasia, Peloponnese

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Taverna in Monemvasia, Greece

Monemvasia was an old Byzantine stronghold, built on a rock in the sea just a few hundred metres off the coast of Laconia in the southeast of the Greek Peloponnese peninsula, and is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The settlement consists of the Lower Town, where many of the buildings have now been carefully restored and offer romantic yet affordable accommodation and dining, and the fortified Upper Town with its citadel. This is accessible via a steep path and offers a fantastic panoramic view of the coast and the sea. After the strenuous sightseeing tour, I found a shady little spot to rest in one of the inviting cafes and tavernas. I watched the locals and travellers until late into the night, when the place becomes even more charming due to the peace and quiet.