A Road Trip in the Peloponnese
Fourth Destination: Mystras
Last summer, with the Classics Summer Field Trip we went to Sparta. I remember passing in front of the road that went to the mystic town of Mystras, however, due to the focus of our trip, which was only covering the Ancient Greece sites, we did not visit this Medieval site. This time, after having visited Pylos, Methoni and Koroni, our way to Athens we went to Sparta and stopped at Mystra to discover the medieval capital of Morea.
The History of the Capital of Morea
The town of Mystras was founded in the 13th century after the conquest of Constantinople by the Crusades in 1204. When the Franks controlled Morea, Prince William II Villhardouin built a fortress on the top of the mountain Mystras. In 1259, Michael VIII Paleologos captured Villhardouin on the battle field of Pelagonia. Paleologos set Villhardouin free in exchange for the castles of Monemvasia and Mystras. As a result, the castle and the town of Mystras stayed under the Byzantine rule until 1460. The castle made the region an important military center and the inhabitants of the neighboring areas started to move to the slope of the mountain to seek security. As a result of the increase of the population on the mountain with time it became necessary to build new walls to secure the protection of the houses. Due to the increase of the population and the fortification, the city became the capital of Moreas between the mid-14th and mid-15th centuries. The permanent lord of the town owned the title of despot and for a long period Mystras became the capital of the Despotate of Moreas. After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the castle was surrounded to the Ottomans by Demetrius Palailogos in 1460. Under the Ottomans, the city continued to be the capital of Morea (the sancak of Morea). The Ottoman authorities converted churches and used the existing public buildings. By the beginning of the 18th century the town started to be abandoned. The lower town was twice burned down and in the 19th century the majority of the population in Mystras moved to Sparta, the new city in the plains founded by King Otto in 1830. The last inhabitants of Mystras were removed in 1921 and the town became an archeological site. Finally, in 1989 UNESCO named Mystras a World Heritage Site.
The Administrative and Trading Center
Even though the emperor's palace was in the capital of the empire, Constantinople, provincial Byzantine cities remained the seats of civil and ecclesiastical administrations. Mystras was one of the key centers in Morea where the provincial government and the ecclesiastical authority of the region were situated. The city's administrative role also made the city a main trading center of the peninsula. The local aristocracies in Mystras mostly traded agricultural products such as oil, honey, wheat and silk for domestic and foreign markets. Luxuries items such as cloths, weapons and paper were supplied by imports from Venice and Florence. Hence, the port cities on the Peloponnese played a key role in transforming the city into an international trading center. Shops were mainly arranged on the main streets, however due to lack of space within the fortifications, most of the time the major commercial activities took place outside of the city walls, but the town always stayed the regulatory station.
The Cathedral of Agios Demetrios, the biggest church in Mystras, was built in the 13th century. The church was the ecclesiastical center of the town and the seat of the Diocese of Lacedaimonia. The last reigning Byzantine emperor, Constantinos Paleologos was crowned in 1449 in this cathedral.
The Peribleptos Monastery
The Peribleptos Monastery was built in the mid-14th century and it is the only monastery in Mystra where nuns and monks are still using it. The architectural style of the monastery is known as the Mystras style because of the resemblance to a castle. The monastery is located on the side of the cliff. The walk to the monastery is a steep one, however it has a breathtaking view. It has a view to the modern city Sparta and the plantation fields. The interior of the main church is entirely decorated with frescos dating from the 14th century. When we were leaving the church we saw nuns entering into the courtyard of the monastery with their donkeys. Hence, it was beautiful to see nuns continuing their usual day in the middle of the abandoned Medieval town.
Traveler's Visual Accounts
This engraving called “Misitra ou Sparte” is made by Olfert Dapper in 1688. On the engraving we clearly see the constructions that were made he fortress was constructed on the hill of the Mount Taygetos and with the castle at the top of the hill and the inhabitants of the region were located at the bottom of the hill. The river that passes from the middle of the lower town must be the Eurotas river. The fields that are depicted behind the mountain, is currently where the modern town Sparta is located. The engraving demonstrates that the planes were used as plantation fields and the population was located around the castle. The large buildings in the middle of the towns should be the churches. The churches are dating from the Byzantine period therefore their cupolas are topped by domes. http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=51463
The following pictures were taken by the German author, Ernst Reisinger in 1923. The pictures show the state of the city that was once “the wonder of Morea” shortly after the First World War and before the restorations. In the first picture we see the citadel, the Despot's palace, the churches of Hodegetria (Aphentiko) and Agioi Theodoroi. Today, all these monuments are renovated and some of them are open to public. In the second picture we can identify the monastery of Pantanassa and its tower. Now, the entrance of the monastery is entirely renovated and the clergy used the space between the entrance and the tower as their courtyard.
http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=33529
http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=33526
