| Mystras
Mystras
occupies a steep foothill on the northern slopes of Mt. Taygetos, 6km.
NW of Sparta. The castle on the top of the hill was founded in 1249 by
the Frankish leader William II de Villeharduin. After 1262 it came under
Byzantine control, and at the middle of the 14th century became the seat
of the Despotate of Moreas. In 1448 the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantine
XI Palaeologos, was crowned at Mystras. In 1460 the hill was captured by
the Turks and in 1464 Sigismondo Malatesta of Rimini managed to capture
the city but not the castle. For a short period Mystras came under the
control of the Venetians (1687-1715) but was again taken over by the Turks.
It was one of the first castles of Greece to be liberated in 1821. The
foundation of modern Sparta by king Otto in 1834 marked the end of the
old town's life.
For
many years, large-scale consolidation and restoration work has been carried
out on the religious and secular monuments of the site, by the Committe
for the Restoration of the Mystras Monuments and the 5th Ephorate of Byzantine
Antiquities. The conservation of the wall paintings of the churches has
already been completed and the restoration of the Palaeologan Palace will
soon be finished.
Small-scale
excavations have been carried out at many instances, especially in the
course of the recent restoration project.
The
most important monuments of the site are:
a) The
fortification. The Frankish castle with the battlements and towers was
founded by William II de Villeharduin and was later reinforced by the Greeks
and the Turks.
b)
The walls. The two strongly fortified circuit walls were strengthened by
tall, rectangular towers, dated to the Late Byzantine period.
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The
Cathedral of St. Demetrios.
It belongs
to a mixed architectural type: it is a three-aisled basilica on the ground
floor with a narthex and a bell tower (dated to the second half of the
13th century), and a cross-in-square church on the upper floor (added in
the first half of the 15th century). The interior is decorated with wall
paintings representing many different styles, dated to the period between
1270/80 and the first quarter of the 14th century. The wall paintings of
the dome date to the 15th century.
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Church
of Saints Theodore.
It was
built between 1290 and 1295 by the monks Daniel and Pachomios. It is of
the octagonal type, with lateral chapels, and is decorated with wall paintings
dating from the end of the 13th century.
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Church
of Our Lady Hodegetria (the Leader of the Way).
It was
built in 1310 by abbot Pachomios. It belongs to the mixed architectural
type with a narthex and lateral chapels and is decorated with excellent
wall paintings, dated to 1312-1322, some of which are connected to the
Constantinopolitan art.
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Church
of Aghia Sophia (Holy Wisdom).
Domed,
cross-in-square, two-column church, built in the middle of the 14th century.
It has side chapels and a bell-tower. Remarkable wall paintings are preserved
in the sanctuary and the chapels.
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Monastery
of Our Lady Peribleptos.
The catholicon
(main church) is a domed, two-column, cross-in-square church with chapels.
Beside it stands the Tower-Refectory. The church is decorated with wall
paintings of exceptional artistic quality, made by various artists of the
third quarter of the 14th century.
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Church
of Our Lady Evangelistria (of the Annunciation).
Domed,
cross-in-square, two-column church decorated with wall paintings of the
beginning of the 15th century.
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Monastery
of Our Lady Pantanassa (the Queen of all).
The catholicon
belongs to the mixed architectural type and has exterior porticoes and
a bell tower. Fine wall paintings dated to ca. 1430 are preserved on the
upper floor and in the sanctuary, while the wall paintings on the ground
floor date from the 18th century.
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Palaces
of the Mystras Despots (Kantakouzenoi and Palaeologoi).
Large
building complex, L-shaped in plan. It contains many buildings of different
functions, erected in different phases between the 13th and the 15th centuries.
The most
interesting of the urban buildings erected on the hill are the Palataki
(Small Palace), the House of Frangopoulos and the House of Laskaris.
Castle
of Monemvasia
Monemvasia
occupies a steep, rocky islet connected to the Laconian coast by a bridge.
The settlement was founded in the 6th century A.D. by the inhabitants of
Laconia. A second settlement was later founded on a lower level, and gradually
developed into a town of significant strategic importance. After a short
domination of the Popes, the area was captured by the Venetians in 1464.
In 1540 it was occupied by the Turks and its decline became more evident.
In 1690 it was given over to the Venetians and in 1715 was recaptured by
the Turks. It was the first among the fortified towns of the Peloponnese
to be liberated by the Greeks in 1821.
The
5th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities has reconstructed the demolished
parts of walls in the Upper Town and has restored the church and the wall
paintings of Aghia Sophia. In the Lower Town, the sea wall has been rebuilt,
the Moslem Mosque has been restored, the east and west bastion of the fortification
wall have been consolidated, and many of the churches have been repaired
and restored.
The
most important monuments of the site are:
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The
settlement which is divided into two sections, built at different levels,
each with a separate fortification. Remains of numerous Byzantine and post-Byzantine
buildings are preserved in the area of the Upper Town which is not inhabited
today.
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Church
of Aghia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) at the Upper Town. Octagonal, domed, cross-in-square
church, identified by some scholars as the Monastery of Our Lady Hodegetria,
dated to 1150.
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Lower
Town. The area is inhabited today and many of the ruined buildings have
been restored by the 5th Ephorate. The settlement is surrounded by a U-shaped
fortification wall with two gates, one on the east and one on the west
side, and a small exit to the sea.
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