MONEMVASIA, PELOPONNESE – А piece of Paradise
Monemvasia is a small rocky island off the eastern coast of the Peloponnese, in the Laconia region. Monemvasia has an elongated shape and is connected to mainland Greece by a long and narrow paved road to the city of Gerifa (- the new part of Monemvasia). Тhis road is the only way to get into the city and it also gives the name of Monemvasia – in Greek it means “Single Entrance”.
The old part of Monemvasia is called Castro and it is divided into two parts:
The lower town is surrounded by a large solid wall, extending from the sea to the steep slopes of the rock. In this part of Castro, the houses are quite old and most of them have been restored and turned into hotels, galleries, cafes and shops. Far in the past, the Lower Town had more than 40 churches but only a few of them are active today.
The upper city – Platoto is also surrounded by walls and to reach it you have to follow a fortress zigzag path. In this part of the city there are many towers, fortifications, ruins of churches and Byzantine houses. The streets are sometimes too narrow for two people to pass but the sea is always peeking from somewhere. The houses captivate you with wide-open windows strewn with colorful flowers.
Monemvasia has a long and interesting history going back in the centuries. Founded by the Byzantines in 583, it repeatedly changed its rulers- Franks (1248), local rulers, pirates, the Ottoman Empire and even the Pope himself. In those days, the city had a large commercial port and traded with the then-known world. More than 40,000 people lived there, but after the Greek Revolution and liberation in 1821 , Monemvasia suffered from a great economic and political decline. The locals start leaving the city and head to other areas of the country. However Monemvasia was rediscovered by tourists back in the 1970s. Now it restored its importance, though as a tourist destination. Today this place is one of the most interesting and popular cities in Greece that you can visit all year round. But in summer, of course, everything is more colorful and sunny, and the whole island is full of life.
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