Greece - Ελλάδα - Griekenland

Palamidi is a vast spectacular fortress that dominates Nafplio, nestled on the crest of a 216-metre high hill above the city. It was built between 1711 and 1714 by the Venetians built the castle during their second occupation of this part of Greece. It was one of the most important and impressive ‘castles’ the Venetians built outside their own country. This fort consists of eight bastions (PiP2), each was self contained, ensuring that if one bastion was breached the others could still be separately defended. The bastions were built one on top of the other and they all connected with one wall. Yet, in 1715, one year after completion, it was captured by the Turks and remained under their control until 1822, when it was captured by the Greeks. Nafplio is one of the first places in Greece that won independence. November 29th, 1822, a group of Greek rebels overpowered the Turks in Palamidi and the next day the town could celebrate its freedom. From 1840 and for nearly a hundred years, Palamidi was used as a prison. Theodoros Kolokotronis, hero of the Greek Revolution, was one of the prisoners. His cell can still be visited. Prisoners, who were held in Palamidi, constructed the stairs from Nafplio up to the castle was built. It is often said by locals in Nafplio that there are 999 steps, but I did read several numbers; some say "only" 857, others 901 or 913. The fortress can also be reached by car. The views of Nafplio, Bourtzi Castle, the Argolic Gulf and surrounding country are overwhelming (main picture and PiP3).

The Tsouka waterfall is the only waterfall that has been created by the Stenorema brook, whose waters flow into the Aliakmon River. The waterfall - also called Agia Anna waterfall - is about 20 meters high and has a pond at its base. It is the largest of the regional unit of Kastoria. We wanted to visit the waterfall from the Zoodochos Pigi church, which stands on the top of the cliff. Unfortunately, the path was closed due to restoration works on the church.

Nearby the hamlet of Agia Varvara one can find a unique tiny church, build in the trunk of a 300 year huge oak tree. This tree church is dedicated to Saint Paisios. It is believed that Saint Paisios, one of the most beloved figures in the Orthodox Church, passed through the area in his youth, going to nearby villages to carry out carpentry work and repairs in local houses. The blessed tree had suffered severe destruction and fire, resulting in deteriorating condition. With each passing year, its condition worsened and there was a fear it might collapse. However , thanks to a local villager, the weak tree was internally shielded with local stone. A miracle happened and the tree has turned green again. On the outside, there is a small bell, while on the inside, which only holds two people, there is a recess where the visitor can light his candle, a candelabrum, an icon of Christ, an icon of the Virgin Mary and in the center the icon of Saint Paisios.

Agios Achillios is a small island in Small (Mikri) Prespa Lake. The name derives from the name of Saint Achilles, bishop of Larisa in the 4th century. The island was both a Roman and a Byzantine settlement and is known for its Byzantine ecclesiastical monuments. On the island there are about ten houses, a guesthouse and a café/restaurant. It is with an island in Lake Pamvotis, nearby Ioannina, the only inhabited island in a lake in Greece. The main sight on the island is the ruin of the Saint Achilles Basilica (see: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/47408324) . It is said that the island houses water buffalos, but the only animals we saw were some stray cats and ‘normal’ cows. The Agios Achillios island and the Prespa Lakes (also known as Prespes) are located in Northwest Greece, at the tri-border point of Greece, Albania and FYR Macedonia/Republic of North Macedonia. Agios Achillios is connected to the mainland by a 650 m long floating pedestrian bridge.

Near the village of Agios Georgios lies the Roman aqueduct over the river Louros. The aqueduct was built by thousands of slaves after 31 BC on the orders of Octavian Augustus - a Roman statesman and military leader and the first Emperor of the Roman Empire - who founded the city of Nicopolis. (More recent research has assigned its construction to Hadrian’s rule, in the 2nd century AD). The complete aqueduct carried potable water with the method of height difference from the springs of the river Louros to two cisterns in Nicopolis over a distance of fifty kilometers. It was consisted of a pipe, which was constructed in three ways: by carving a ditch, tunneling the area and constructing columns bridging the pipe over valleys. In the second half of the 5th century the aqueduct stopped functioning. From 1978 till 1980 the arches near Agios Georgios were restorated. The aqueduct bridge over the Louros is one of the very few remaining in Greece today.

Near the village of Agios Georgios lies the Roman aqueduct over the river Louros. The aqueduct was built by thousands of slaves after 31 BC on the orders of Octavian Augustus - a Roman statesman and military leader and the first Emperor of the Roman Empire - who founded the city of Nikopolis or Nicopolis. (Recent researchers assign its construction during Hadrian’s rule, in the 2nd cent. A.D.) The complete aqueduct carried potable water with the method of height difference from the springs of the river Louros in the mountains near Ioannina to two cisterns in Nikopolis over a distance of fifty kilometers, nearly the entire current region of Preveza. It consisted of a pipe, which was constructed in three ways: by carving a ditch, tunneling the area and constructing columns bridging the pipe over valleys. This ‘water pipeline’ is considered being one of the most important structures of the Roman period in northwestern Greece. In the second half of the 5th century the aqueduct stopped functioning. From 1978 till 1980 the arches near Agios Georgios were restored. The aqueduct bridge over the Louros is one of the very few remaining in Greece today.

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).

The Bridge of Arta is a stone footbridge crossing the Arachthos river on the outskirts of town. The current bridge is Ottoman and most probably built from 1602 till 1606. However the history of a bridge on that place goes even back to the Roman period. From the annexation of Arta in 1881 to the outbreak of the First Balkan War in 1912, the highest point of the bridge was the border between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Greece. The bridge has a length of 145 meters and the width is 3.75 meters. It has four semicircular arches with no symmetry. The Bridge of Arta received many restorations and additions throughout its history. A major restoration took place during the decade of 1980, after which the bridge got back its beauty. A folk tale tells a story of how builders were building the bridge, but its foundations would collapse each night. Finally a bird with a human voice informed the master builder that he should sacrifice his wife in order to complete the construction. She was buried alive in the foundations of the bridge. She first curses the bridge, but then turns the curse into a wish once she realizes her brother may cross the bridge. Thus the sacrifice is fulfilled and the spirits of the river all the bridge to be built successfully. In 1931, during repairs, a small room was discovered in one of the bridge pillars: it is claimed that a skeleton was indeed found there.

The Bridge of Arta is a stone footbridge crossing the Arachthos river on the outskirts of town. The current bridge is Ottoman and most probably built from 1602 till 1606. However the history of a bridge on that place goes even back to the Roman period. From the annexation of Arta in 1881 to the outbreak of the First Balkan War in 1912, the highest point of the bridge was the border between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Greece. The bridge has a length of 145 meters and the width is 3.75 meters. It has four semicircular arches with no symmetry. The Bridge of Arta received many restorations and additions throughout its history. A major restoration took place during the decade of 1980, after which the bridge got back its beauty. A folk ballad tells a story of how builders were building the bridge, but its foundations would collapse each night. Finally a bird with a human voice informed the master builder that he should sacrifice his wife in order to complete the construction. She was buried alive in the foundations of the bridge. She first curses the bridge, but then turns the curse into a wish once she realizes her brother may cross the bridge. Thus the sacrifice is fulfilled and the spirits of the river all the bridge to be built successfully. In 1931, during repairs, a small room was discovered in one of the bridge pillars: it is claimed that a skeleton was indeed found there.

The church of the Panagia Parigoritissa, dedicated to the Annunciation, was built at the end of the 13th century by the despot Epirus Nikiphoros Komninos Doukas and his second wife Anna Paliologina. It was formerly the katholion (= main church) of a large monastery. It became a dependence of the Kato Panaghia monastery, when it went bankrupt. The church is mentioned for the first time as a convent for nuns 1578. Seen from outside the church is a large, almost cubic three-storey building. It is of the octagonal type with a central dome and also four smaller domes on each corner of the church's flat roof. The interior of the church is extremely elegant and lavishly decorated with wall paintings, sculptures (16th century) and a iconostasis, which replaced the original marble one. The nave is square and has no internal supports. The dome (main picture) - adorned with mosaic depictions of the Pantocrator and the Prophets - rests on eight pilasters, on each of them stand three rows of smaller columns. This kind of architecture most probably has not been used to other Byzantine monuments. This makes the church very fascinating and quite unique. Nowadays Panagia Parigoritissa is a (kind of) museum, where one has to pay a small entrance fee. But it allows visitors to take pictures.

The church of Panagia Parigoritissa, dedicated to the Annunciation, was built between 1285 and 1289 by the Epirus despot Nikiforos Komninos Doukas and his second wife Anna Palaiologina. It was formerly the katholion (= main church) of the largeStavropegian monastery. It became a dependence of the Kato Panaghia monastery, when it went bankrupt. The church is mentioned for the first time as a convent for nuns 1578. Seen from outside the church is a large, almost cubic three-storey building, which looks like an Italian palace. It is of the octagonal type with a central dome and also four smaller domes on each corner of the church's flat roof. The interior of the church is extremely elegant and lavishly decorated with wall paintings, sculptures (16th century) and an iconostasis, which replaced the original marble one. The nave is square and has no internal supports. The dome - adorned with mosaic depictions of the Pantocrator and the Prophets - rests on eight pilasters, on each of them stand three rows of smaller columns. This kind of architecture most probably has not been used to other Byzantine monuments. This makes the church very fascinating and quite unique. Nowadays Panagia Parigoritissa is a (kind of) museum, where on has to pay a small entrance fee.

The church of St. Theodora - the patron saint of Arta - is an important Byzantine church. Originally it was the katholikon of a monastery, where Theodora, the wife of Despot of Epirus Michael II Komnenos Doukas (1236-1271), was buried. The originally church was built - over the ruins of an older structure - in the 11th or 12th century as a three-aisled wooden-roofed basilica. This shape has remained almost unchanged till to this day. Around the year of 1270 Theodora renovated the church by adding the nartex and two pediments of the main church. The open colonnaded exonarthex was added in the lat 13th or early 14th century. Nowadays the Church of St. Theodora is considered being one of Arta’s most important monuments, not only for its morphology but mainly because this church is like a living connection of the present city with its Byzantine past since it is dedicated to its queen, the city’s Saint Theodora.

From the beginning until the 10th century the region of Arta belonged to the Metropolis of Corinth and later to the Metropolis of Nicopolis. After the destruction of Nikopolis (11th century) the whole area of Epirus was subordinated to the Metropolis of Nafpaktos. Arta became the seat of a bishopric in the 12th century. The Metropolitan Church of St. Demetrios is located in the center of Arta.

(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.

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.

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 Acropolis of Athens, or the “Sacred Rock” as it is called, is considered the ultimate symbol of ancient Greek civilization and culture. The Acropolis rock -156 meters above sea level - is considered a landmark for Athens, with its history linked to religious festivals, myths and struggles throughout the centuries. Since 1987 it has been a monument protected by UNESCO as a cultural site. The Erechtheion (or Temple of Athena Polias), located on the northern side of the Acropolis, was built between 421 and 406 B.C., but was actually completed in 395 B.C., due to interruptions caused by the Peloponnese Wars. It is a replacement of an earlier temple dedicated to Athena Polias. The name derives from Erechtheus, the mytical king of Athens, who was worshipped there. The Erechtheion consists of several sacred sites, all under one roof. These include a church, a palace and a harem. This structure has a rather complicated layout when compared to others on the Acropolis. There are shrines inside dedicated to Athena and Poseidon, who fought for the city, as well as to the two legendary Kings of Athens, Erechtheos and Kekrops. The Erechtheion is known mainly through its porch, its colums instead of pillars had six maidens - two meters in height - known as the “Caryatids”, that support the roof. In 1811 one of them was brought to England (now in the British Museum); the remaining five were replaced by replicas to prevent further damage from the smog (nowadays the originals are in the Acropolis Museum).

The archaeological site of Delphi is located a couple of hundred meters east of ‘modern’ Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The ancient Greeks did believe that Delphi was the center of the world. According to the mythology Zeus sent out two eagles from the two ends of the world. The eagles crossed their paths above the area of Delphi and since then the place was considered to be the center of the world. The sanctuary of Delphi, set within a most spectacular landscape, had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. The Pythia was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo, who also served as the oracle of Delphi and was consulted about important decisions. The Temple of Apollo was the most important building of the Sanctuary of Apollo, also containing treasuries, theatre and a stadium. The original temple - built in the 7th century BC - was reconstructed many times. The present Doric temple - or at least the remains - is dating back to the year of 330 BC, during the reign of Alexander the Great. It has the same plan and roughly the same dimensions - 21.6 x 58.2 meters - as its predecessor, with six columns at the end and fifteen at the sides. The temple's foundations survive today along with several columns made of porous stone and limestone which is fairly soft material and have allowed for the temple's advanced decaying. Nowadays Delphi is an extensive archaeological site and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.