Greece - Ελλάδα - Griekenland

The Konitsa or Aoos bridge was built (although it looks older) by architect and stone-master Zioga Frontzou. The work started in 1823 and was finished in 1870. The single arch has a width of 40 meters and a height of 20 meters and is one of the biggest stone bridges in the Balkan. It’s not only the bridge, but also the location with the Aoos river flowing under the arch and an incredible view into the canyon with the natural beauty of the green mountains of the Vikos - Aoos National Park in the background. Konitsa bridge is built on the place where the Aoos is narrowing with also some good rocks on both sides of the river. Therefore an one and only arch of big radius could steadily cover the distance, avoiding bigger and more expensive constructions. When the Turks left Konitsa in 1913 they tried to blow the bridge, but they did not succeed. Under the arch hangs a little bell, which warned crossing local people for strong winds. The bell was lost, but replaced in 1975.

The Konitsa or Aoos Bridge was built by architect and stone-master Zioga Frontzou. The construction – done by 80 craftsmen - was completed in 1870, after the first attempt collapsed a year earlier.. The bridge - built to replace an older wooden bridge that stoof on the same place - helped to improve communication and transport between the local population in the area. The construction of the bridge was a difficult and expensive undertaking and a miracle of its time. The bridge - professionally and aesthetically designed - was not only financed by the rich, but also by the ordinary people who shared the idea of the bridge. The single-span stone arch bridge has a width of 36,80 meters and a height of almost 18 meters. The cobbled walkway - just 2,70 meters wide - has a length of 61,50 meters. The Konitsa Bridge is one of the largest stone bridges in Epirus (and even the Balkan). It’s not only the bridge, but also the location with the Aoos river flowing under the arch and an incredible view into the Aoos Gorge with the natural beauty of the green mountains of the Northern Pindos National Park in the background. Konitsa Bridge is built on the narrowest point of the Aoos gorge with some good rocks on both sides of the river. Therefore a one arch of big radius could steadily cover the distance, avoiding bigger and more expensive constructions. Under the arch hangs a little bell, which warned crossing people for strong winds. The bell was lost, but replaced in 1975.

The Aoos Gorge is eight kilometers long and runs between the steep slopes of Trapezitsa (2.024 m) and Tymfi (2.497 m) mountains. The depth is approximately 1.500 meters, while the width varies from 300 to 2,500 meters. The gorge - located in the North Pindos National Park - ends at the stone bridge of Konitsa. The gorge offers a fascinating landscape with the crystal clear water of the Aoos river and the thick vegetation on the slopes on both sides of the river. The ecosystem along the river is home to many animal and bird species.

Moni Stomiou (Stomiou monastery) lies in one of the most astonishing locations in Greece, above the gorge of the Aoos river (PiP5). It owes its name to that location: the stomiou (= "mouth") of the ravine. The monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was originally built in 1590 on the other side of the river. It was moved to its present location in 1774 because the Holy icon of the monastery had been miraculously transported there. In 1943 the monastery was almost completely destroyed by German troops, only the church was spared. Fifteen years later, the complex was rebuilt and restored by the Konitsa monk Paisios, who was canonized in 2015. The cell in which he lived during his four-year stay is still being maintained. Moni Stomiou now functions as an active male monastery. It has eleven newly built cells with additional rooms and a small, cruciform church with dome. Interesting are the iconostasis with several Byzantine icons and the relics of many saints, which were transferred from the original monastery. The only way to visit the monastery is a two hour walk through the Aoos Gorge from the Konitsa bridge .

The Noutsos Bridge (Γεφύρι Νούτσο) - also called Kokkoros Bridge - is an impressive one-arched bridge located between the villages Koukouli, Dilofo and Kipi. The bridge spans the River Vikos at one of its impressive narrows. There is an inscription with the year of 1750 or 1752. The bridge was paid for by Mr. Noutsos Kontodimos and Mr. Noutsos Karamesinis. Mr. Kokkoros, owner of a nearby mill, donated a sum of money to correct the steep incline of the cobbled walkway in 1910. The Noutsos Bridge is one of the best stone bridges in the area. It has an impressive arch spanning 24 meters and rising 11,60 meters above the river bed. The walkway has a length of 39 meters and is 2,50 meters wide. The Noutsos Bridge, although very old, is still in good condition. In 1977, part of the cobbled path was destoyed by unknowns, but fortunately, the archaeological service repaired the damage and the historic bridge still stands there.

Lake Kremasta (or Lake Kremaston) is the largest artificial lake in Greece. It was formed as a result of the construction of Kremaston hydroelectric dam between 1961 and 1965. The water that is accumulated in the lake is about 3.8 cubic kilometers. The creation affected the lives of the residents as 15 villages would be found under the lake and that forced them to leave their homes and properties. Unfortunately the same goes for many historical bridges and churches. The lake is continuously supplied by Acheloos, Agrafiotis, Tavropos and Trikeriotis rivers. The water of the lake penetrates along the beds of the four rivers and forms a lot of fjords and small islands. The artificial lake with its turquoise waters offers an incomparable Greek landscape.

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.

The Vyliza (or Viliza) monastery is located near the village of Matsouki. It is built in a wild landscape on an altitude of more than 1.000 meters, overlooking over a gorge of Kallaritikos river. The name “Viliza” - from the Latin word “vigilo”, which means “guardian” - was given to the monastery. Its location and fortuitous construction justify the name. Most probably the monastery was founded in the 11th century. But the most ancient written testimony of Vyliza is the icon of St. John the Baptist, dating back to 1676. The monastery was one of the most important in Epirus with a rich library and a great participation in the local community. The monastery has many cells around the catholicon in a rectangular courtyard. The little church has splendid frescoes, dating back to 1793. The precious icons of the church are replicas. The original icons are kept safely in a museum in the neighboring village of Matsouki. In 1893 the monastery was abandoned and then destroyed. Since 1981 the monastery has been restored. To visit the monastery, we first had to collect the key from a cafe in the village of Matsouki. After parking the car at the roadside, we could start a walk to the monastery. The stone-paved path went constantly up and down and counted many steps. When it started raining on the way back, it was quite a challenging walk of almost 2 kilometres. (See PiPs on the right side of the main picture)

I had seen pictures and TV-video’s about Meteora and it was on my bucket list for a long time. Having seen quite a lot of different countries and sights I only can say that this extraordinary place now is one of my top ten places. Meteora combines unique natural rocks with unimaginable human efforts. Meteora (from the Greek adjective meteoros - which means "elevated above the earth"), refers to the group of isolated rock pinnacles and to monasteries built on them. The height of these rocks varies from 300 more than 600 meters. The rock pillars of Meteora - also called “the rock forest of Greece” - tower hundreds of meters above the plain of Thessaly and the towns of Kalampaka and Kastraki. In the dark grey rock masses vertical grooves are carved out by rainwater that seeped down along the rock walls. The horizontal lines are much older and were created by waves hitting the rocks when the plain of Thessaly was the bottom of a sea. Millions of years ago, the pillars were part of the rocky bottom of that sea. A series of powerful earthquakes pushed the entire region out of the sea, creating a plateau with countless fractures in the thick sandstone layer. Weathering of the broken sandstone by water, wind and strong temperature changes then created the towering outcrops The natural sandstone towers of Meteora were first used as a religious refuge when the hermit Barnabas retreated to a cave in 985. Around 1350 Nelios, prior of the Stagaik monastery, built the first small church. Soon afterwards the monk Athanasios, from Mount Athos, founded the monastery Megalo Meteoro on one of the many rock formations. It is still not quite clear how the first hermits reached the top of the steep cliffs. Probably they slammed hooks in the rock and lifted building materials. Monasteries could be reached by rermovable ladders and later windlasses were used to haul monks in nets. There followed 23 more monasteries, most of which fell into disrepair at the end of the 18th century. In the twenties of the 20th century stairs were cut into the rocks to make the remaining six monasteries (Agios Nikolaos Anapafsas, Roussanou, Varlaam, Megalo Meteoro, Agios Stefanos, Agia Triada) more accessible. Now monks and nuns live there again. Since 1988 the six monasteries are listed as a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Church of Taxiarches is located in the central aquare of Mlilies, one of the quaint Pelion villages. From an architectural point of view the church has very simple exterior, which does not remind of any temple at all, since during the Turkish occupation the construction of majestic orthodox Christian buildings was avoided, so as not to provoke the Turks. It is unknown when exactly this church was built, but a sign at the entrance tells that it was renovated in 1741. The interior of the Church of Taxiarches is stunningly beautiful and impresses visitors with the wall paintings that depict scenes from the Bible and Hell. Of exceptional, but also unique interest is the icon painting, which was probably done by an unknown monk, while the gilded iconostasis was made by Epirote craftsmen. The Church of Taxiarches is an important historical monument for Pelion as in May 1821, the scholar Anthimos Gazis raised the Greek flag and proclaimed the revolution in Thessaly. .

The Church of the Holy Apostles is located just outside the small village of Molyvdoskepastos - known as Depalitsa until 1929. According to the text of the founding inscription, it was built in 1537 and the hagiographies were added in 1645. The church belongs to the cross inscribed architectural type, with a twelve-side dome, a narthes to the west and a later portico to the south. The interior shows remarkable frescoes. The church used to be the seat of the Archbishop of Pogoniani until 1857. Next to the church is a viewpoint, from where there is a fine view of the area of the Greek-Albanian border and of the confluence of the rivers Aoos and Sarandaporos, the waters of the two rivers then cross the Albanian lands and flow into the Adriatic sea (PiP3).

The history of the Monastery of Molyvdoskepastos goes back in the Byzantine era and was originally built in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. Its founder was the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos. The monastery was renovated in the 14th century by Andronikos Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos. The monastery owes its name from the lead roof it once had: i>molivdoskepasti means “with a roof of lead”. The lead was stolen by Turks to make bullets and was then replaced by slates. The katholikon (main church) belongs to a complex architectural style and was built in three phases. The original church with three vaults and a dome, was the first to built (11th and 12th century). The middle cross vaulted section was added at the end of the 13th century and in the beginning of the 14th century. Finally, an open narthex was added in the year of 1521 by the inhabitants of a nearby village. The interior of the church is decorated with splendid wall and ceiling paintings of the 14th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis is carved, probably dating back to the 15th century with remarkable icons. After 1913 the monastery remained without monks, its properties were encroached and its holy artifacts and relics were stolen. In 1943, when the area was bombarded by the Nazis, it was almost razed to the ground. In 1988 the monastery was manned once more by the present day brotherhood. From the outside the monastery looks (a little bit) like a fortress, due to its walls and gatehouse. It is located about 20 km from the town of Konitsa, some hundred meters away from the Aoos River and the border with Albania.

Monemvasia is a town, which is located on a small island - 300 metres wide and 1.000 metres long - off the east coast of the Peloponnese. The island - cut off from the coast by an earthquake in the year of 375 - is connected with the mainland by a 200 metres long causeway. Its area consists mostly of a large plateau some 100 meters above sea level and a rather small piece of land with the walled town itself. The town's name derives from the Greek words, mone and emvasia , meaning "single entrance". It is also called “Gibraltar of the east” The town and fortress were founded in 583 by inhabitants of the mainland, seeking refuge from the Slavic and the Avaric invasion of Greece. From the 10th century, Monemvasia developed into an important trade and maritime centre. Monemvasia - a natural fortress - was inhabited and soon became a strategic fortress claimed the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians and Ottomans. The town was liberated from Ottoman rule on July 23, 1821 by Tzannetakis Grigorakis, who entered the town with his private army during the Greek War of Independence. Monemvasia became linked with mainland Peloponnese in 1971 by the causeway and a small bridge. The town has become an important touristic site with an increasing number of visitors, strolling along the cobbled streets and paths amid the mansions and Byzantine churches. Medieval buildings have been restored and many of them converted into hotels. These days, though, only around 20 people live in the kastro (fort) permanently. (I took the main picture from the Upper Town, which was home to the Venetian aristocracy and nowadays offering a wonderful panoramic view of (the rooftops of) Monemvasia and the surrounding area.)

Agia Sofia is an impressive church of high architectural value, founded in the middle of the 12th century. Oral and written reports link the church to the Byzantine Emperor Andronicos II Palaiologos (1282-1328). Carvings of the church date from the 12th century and its frescoes are from around the year of 1400. It is situated in the Upper Town of Monemvasia and is one of the view buildings there that is more or less intact. During the first period of Ottoman rule many Christian people left the town, but the church was saved because the Turks decided to convert Agia Sofia in a mosque. The Ottomans converted it to a mosque and whitewashed the wall-paintings. On the return of the Venetians, the catholic doctrine church was consecrated to Madonna del Carmine. The Ottomans converted it to a mosque once again, while one of the very first things the Greeks did, when they got the town back in 1821after the Greek War of Independence, was to demolish the minaret that had been built. The octagonal domed Agia Sofia was consecrated to Virgin Mary Hodegitria. It was considered to be a faithful replica of Agia Sofia in Constantinople, the former Byzantine capital. Since then, and given that the church of Agia Sofia was the only well preserved building in the Upper Town (Ano Polis), a series of renovation works followed. The last of these were completed some years ago. It is considered being one of the oldest and most important Byzantine churches in Greece, Standing on the highest point of Monemvasia the church (and Upper Town) are accessible through a steep path with stairs and slippery stones. (More images of Monemvasia: www.ipernity.com/doc/294067/48410582 )

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.

Nafpaktos is a town with a history of 3.500 years. It is well known for the naval battle of Lepanto, which took in place in 1571. It was a clash between the fleet of the allied Christian and Ottoman forces in the Gulf of Corinth close to Lepanto (as Nafpaktos was called that days). The victory of the so called Holy League was significant as it stopped the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into the Mediterranean. Nafpaktos is dominated by a Venetian castle on the top of a hill some hundred meters above the town. The castle has some of the largest and most well-preserved fortifications in Greece and offers breathtaking views towards the Gulf of Corinth with the beautiful Rio-Antirio bridge, the opposite coasts of Peloponnesus and Nafpaktos and its Venetian harbour. Nowadays Nafpaktos is considered being one of the most picturesque places in mainland Greece with a medieval character, beautiful beaches and green hilly surroundings.

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.

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.