Greece 2021

Sunday14November

Here we are a few kilometers from Sparta where we are staying, and facing us, barely visible on its small mountain, the fortified city of Mystras awaits us. It does not seem big seen from here, but we will need a good part of the day to visit everything!

At the very top, we find the old castle and the fortress. A little lower, the old town and the religious buildings.

There is only one passage to access the fortress with a stone path that runs along the steep slopes of the mountain.

The site is more or less in ruins, but one can guess what a labyrinth the fortress could be, and especially with its viewpoint which carried the gaze far, alerting quickly to possible enemy attacks...

A little lower, the Palace of the Byzantine Emperors.

"The fortress is the heart of the defense of Mystras. Built in 1249 by William II of Villehardouin, then improved by the Byzantines and the Turks, it spreads over the top of the hill, dominating the entire valley of Sparta. The citadel is a relatively flat space defended by two ramparts, an outer and an inner one. Once the outer enclosure is crossed, one arrives in the lowest part, but also the widest. There are ruins of dwellings dating from the Ottoman period. At the south-east end of the rampart, a watchtower was built from which one can monitor both the plain of Sparta and the slopes of Taygetus. From this side, the citadel was inaccessible and almost invulnerable." © Wikipedia

The ramparts of the fortress.

We leave the fortress following the path down to the ancient city and arrive at the Church of Hagia Sophia from the 14th century.

It was built by the Despot Manuel Cantacuzene to remind him of the great eponymous church in Constantinople.

All the churches of Mystras have largely kept their Byzantine frescoes painted on the walls, sometimes quite damaged but always so rich in history.

The frescoes around the dome.

The palace of the Byzantine emperors built over different eras.

The Church of Saint Nicholas built in the 17th century.

Superb frescoes recounting episodes from the life of Saint Nicholas of Myra (~270-343).

The miracle of the three virgins saved from prostitution by Saint Nicholas.

The rescue of the three officers pardoned by Constantine I and the prefect, after they saw Saint Nicholas in a dream.

The last rites before the death of Saint Nicholas.

Every character is worth seeing...

Close-up on a foot and hands.

The palace which we will not visit since closed...

"The Monastery of the Pantanassa is clinging to the eastern slope of the hill, at a place where the slope is steep. It is the best preserved building in Mystras and also the only one still inhabited today, by half a dozen nuns." © Wikipedia

Cats must enjoy the hospitality of the nuns...  

The monastery was founded in 1428.

Pantanassa means "Queen of All".

Saint Constantine (Emperor Constantine I) and his mother Saint Helena.

The Dormition of the Virgin.

The underside of an arch.

We return to get the car to move it closer to the entrance of the ancient city, to continue the visit of the lower part of the site.

The church is dedicated to the "megalomartyrs" Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratelates, Roman soldiers of the 4th century.

"Hodegetria" means in Greek "Directress". The church was built by Abbot Pachomius in the 14th century.

Detail of the fresco of the cupola.

Gregory I the Illuminator, the founder of the Church of Armenia.

Here we find many scenes from the life of Jesus.

Undoubtedly one of the Orthodox nuns of the Pantanassa monastery. She seems to be trying to convince her donkey that it is not yet time for a meal...  

In the distance, the city of Sparta.

The Peribleptos monastery from the 14th century is curiously placed. It is a bit eccentric from the city and it is backed by the cliff like a small manor.

The dome and Christ Pantocrator.

The Dormition of the Virgin.

The Saint Dimitrios Church will be the last of the day!   It is located near the exit just next to the museum. The complex forms the metropolis, seat of the bishopric of the city.;

The building dates from the 13th century.

The church is therefore dedicated to Dimitrios of Thessaloniki, martyr killed by the Romans, because he preached Christianity.

A curious balcony with a bird held by a mysterious hand...  

The dome.

Details of the fresco of the main dome.

The exterior of the church.

Back to Sparta which also has its little archaeological curiosities. In the middle of the city, this pile of stone blocks would be the site of Leonidas' tomb.

And we find Leonidas in the form of a statue at the entrance of the city's football stadium.

"Leonidas I, born around 540 and died in 480 BC, is the Agiad king of Sparta from -489 to -480. He remained famous for his heroic opposition to the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae, during which he died." © Wikipedia

Tomorrow, we leave Leonidas and Sparta to take a short tour a little further south of the Peloponnese to a small island housing the fortified city of Monemvasia...