Monemvasia
The Medieval Rock
The Monemvasia Rock - Photo by: iStock.com | milangonda | 26.11.2017
Monemvasia (or Monovasia for the locals) means “unique entrance”, as it constituted an islet in 375 A.C. when it was cut from the menace of an earthquake from the rest of the Peloponnese. Since then, Monemvasia has only one entrance (moni emvasis). Entering was, initially, taking place with the use of a first-of-this-kind movable bridge. Monemvasia was a "flower" imminently vindicated by sea cruisers from the Ottoman conquerors due to its dominant geopolitical position in the Mediterranean. Francs, Crusaders and other conquerors named it the “Gibraltar of the East”. The Venetians named it “Napoli di Malvasia” (Neapolis).
Panagiotis | Shiny Greece
Entering the walled castle-town, you feel being wrapped by a diffusible romance of the Middle Ages. You feel being wrapped by history with its Venetian, Byzantine, Franc, Turk and Arabic remainings, many having been saved to excite the imagination of the visitors. The East, the West and the Byzantium, together in a place as small as a handful. «My Lady Monemvasia, my stony ship. Thousands are your jibs and your sails. And you always stay still to sail me in the world.”, wrote the great Monemvasian poet and holder of the Lenin prize for peace Giannis Ritsos.
Monemvasia's international visitors are served by the airport of Kalamata (KLX) and the international airport of Athens (ATH).