TRAVEL TO TEGEA, KERASIA AND AGIOS PETROS ARCADIA

Text and research by Giota Christoforou, translation by Eva Trombetas

Heading southeast of Tripoli, we meet the ancient city of Arcadia, Tegea. Its name comes from the word Tegos which means roof and as a roof covers and embraces the sixteen villages: Alea, Vouno, Garea, Episkopi, Kamario, Kandalos, Kerasia, Lithovounio, Magoula, Manthyrea, Maurikio, Rizes, Stadio, Strigos, Tzivas and Psili Vrissi.

The impressive Byzantine church of the assumption is located between the village of Stadio and the old Episkopi. The church is a miniature of the great church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and is estimated to have been built in the 11th century AD, while its restoration was carried out in 1889 by Ernesto Ziller. The church is also called Episkopi as it was in the middle ages the seat of Bishop of Tegeas. It is a trihypostatos and honors the Virgin Mary, Saint Spyridon and Zoodochos Pigi. It is built in the hollow part of the ancient theatre which was discovered by archaeologists and which evaluate it chronologically in the year 175 AD built by Antiochus. However, investigations have shown that in its place there was an older theatre which is placed chronologically in the 4th BC. Within the unique grove of Tegea, other important monuments stand especially in the area. Among them are the early christian church of Thyrsos with its impressive mosaic floor depicting representations of the twelve months and the four rivers of Eden and the early christian basilica of the Agora. The modern monuments of the beautiful grove include the monument of the Unknown Soldier and two rows of statues of Tegean benefactors. Walking towards the center of the grove you will see a school which houses the folklore museum, while in the background stands the marble Olympic altar and an inscription engraved on the medieval wall reminiscent of the historic decision of 1934 touch and transfer the flame each time from Olympia to the place of the Olympic Games.

Archaeological Museum of Tegea

In the village of Alea is the Archaeological Museum of Tegea, awarded by the jury of the European Museum Forum and is an ornament for Arcadia. The Archaeological Museum of Tegea opened its doors to the public in 2014 and is part of the operational program "western Greece - Ionian islands". The visitor is informed through modern digital applications of archaeological and historical content and receives information about the development of an important city state, the famous Tegea. The temple of Athena Alea was one of the most majestic temples of antiquity after the temple of Olympian Zeus. The Parian sculptor Skopas made his drawings, who was for the time an important sculptor after he had made the sculptures for the mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The excavations show that it was built chronologically in the 4th century BC, although research shows that a sanctuary existed from the Mycenaean years. The ivory statue of Athena adorned the nave of the temple made of ivory, which according to Pausanias was brought to Rome by Augustus after his victory over emperor Antonius. Representations of mythological deities dominated the sanctuary, such as the hunt of Calydonian boar, the statue of Asclepius and Hygeia.

temple of Athena Alea

The Tegean association operates and organizes every year the art exhibition that takes place in the green grove of Tegea. This year the 48th Pampeloponesian fair and the 135th fair start on August 14 on the eve of the feast of the Virgin Mary and last until August 21. The multi-day commercial festival of Tegea every year attracts thousands of visitors from all over Greece and includes many cultural and folklore events, with religious and archaeological interest.

Cultural Center, Stadio Tegea

The Cultural Centre founded by Michael Stasinopoulos, can be visited in the village Stadio of Tegea. The aim of the centre is to highlight the archaeological wealth of the area and to educate the inhabitants. The entrance of the village of Tzivas is flanked by windmills while in the village square there is the church of Agios Konstantinos which had suffered for the most part, the destructive fury of Ibrahim.

Mantinea plateau

Above the chapel of Profitis Ilias located in the village Kandalos or Zeli it is worth admiring the tegean plain and a little further to the roots to admire the plateau of Mantinea, the fertile valley of Tegea and the coast of Astros. In the square of Stringos village, admire the stone school built in 1875 and located near the century-old plane tree. The village of Tzivas is flanked by the windmills and a little further in the beautiful Kerasitsa was born the doctor and athlete of the Panhellenic long jump record, Grigorios Lambrakis. The icons of the church, made by Fotis Kontoglou. If you want to admire the view from above, visit the village of Riza, where after passing through picturesque chapels you will reach the top of the chapel of Profitis Ilias to be enchanted by the beauty of the fertile plain of Tegea, the plateau of Mantinea and the east coast of Astros.

village Kerasia

Kerasia, besides the name says, a village of Tegea full of cherry trees (kerasi = cherry), belongs to the municipality of Skyritis and is located very close to the road axis Tripoli - Sparta. But in Kerasia with the many waters that gurgle from the springs you will find not only cherries but also the most fragrant and delicious apples "delicious - Pilafa" which is said that the variety was planted in the village in 1920 by Elias Pilafa, who had brought seeds of the tree from America. The traditional settlement of Vlachokerasia is a big Arcadian village. Formerly we would associate it with the Kerasia, two villages rich in goods from the abundance of their trees. The change took place during the Turkish occupation when Vlachokerasia passed into the hands of the Turkish captain of Tripoli after deceit at the expense of the Greek Mayor. The village church looks majestic on the central square. Works of the expatriates of Vlachokerasia are the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, the primary school of the village, the gymnasium and the County Court that once operated. The large sign with the names of the cities where expatriates live abroad, reminds them with its presence as it stands majestically in front of the village church. Nature lovers must see this rare beauty that nature offers, the lush chestnut, cherry, walnut and plane trees of  forest of Skyritis. From the beginning of the 20th century people from the surrounding areas and students of the school began to reforest the forest which had suffered great destruction during the period of the Greek Revolution. In 1976 the Forester Athanasios Stefanou with scientific methods and correct strategy and always with the cooperation of the local residents, managed to create a model artificial park with chestnut and pinus nigra and rich ecosystem. The current area of the forest reaches 50,000 acres.

forest of Skyritis

The path that was opened with great difficulty by the native inhabitant from village Vlachokerasia, Tasos Mitsios, is an example to imitate but also patience I would say a man who palpated the Earth inch by inch, to revive through his personal work the magnificence of nature. The path runs a distance of 14 km in the forest of Skyritis, it is a brand new route that aims to get to know a part of the forest, the point from where the waters of the river Eurotas begins to flow and of course the magical view of the place. The trail has signaling and it is advisable to tour by an experienced guide, mainly from spring to autumn and not rainy days. In ancient times, the village was inhabited by the Skirites who, although they were vassals to the Spartans, retained several of their freedoms. Villages rich in vegetation and enchanting landscapes are the village of Kaltezes and Kolinas. The road after the village of Kolinas leads to the small village of Agia Varvara and from there to Laconia.

gorge of Lepida

One of the most beautiful mountains of the prefecture of Arcadia, Parnonas or Malevos, stretches and occupies with the huge volume of 2 cm. acre of, the eastern side of Arcadia. Springs and rivers, caves, waterfalls and gorges, endless mountain peaks and deep ravines form the backdrop of the mountain while its shrubs are over 900 to 1000 plant species, with several healing properties recorded by the Universities of Patras and Copenhagen. It is rightly characterized as an Ecological Park and is a protected zone by the Natura 2000 network. Important biological paradises are recognized the gorges of Parnonas which start from the top of Parnonas the Megali Tourla and is the Loulouga gorge, with the imposing waterfall 30-40 meters high, which succulent as it falls forms an impressive pond and small caves. Also important are the gorge of Mazia, Zarbanitsa, Spilakia and Lepida, as well as the fir forest of Sitena, the only juniperus drupacea forest located in the Monastery of Malevi. The great ecological pyramid comes to be enriched by the extremely rich avifauna which is found in the wetland of Moustos, a particularly important wetland since migratory birds meet first on their journey the wetland of Moustos as they travel from the eastern coast of Greece to the north and then the delta of Sperchios. Access to the protected zone of Parnonas and the wetland of Moustos is accessible from the road of the National Road Tripoli - Sparta and from Astros Kynouria. However, the visitor must respect the environment and the rules of good behavior of nature. In the same way, residents of the protected zone comply with these rules. The traditional settlements that make up mount Parnonas are Agios Petros, Kastanitsa, Kastri, Prastos, Ano Doliana, Charadros, mountainous Meligou and Agios Ioannis.

village Agios Petros

The beautiful village of Agios Petros is a village in northern Kynouria. Built at the foot of Parnonas, it perfectly combines the traditional architecture of its houses, the hospitality of its inhabitants, the religious element of the place and the nature of the place. From here begins the european path E4 for fans of hiking. In Agios Petros, the visitor can admire the central square of the village, which dominates the famous church of the Holy Apostles, built in 1900, the elementary school donated by Andreas Syggrou, the vaulted fountain with the inscription indicating the date 1769, the famous mansions towers, such as Papanikolaou and Kasouris, but also the tower of Aga Trikalitis which houses the Folklore Museum. In a very short distance from Agios Petros, in the lush forest of juniperus drupacea is the miraculous Monastery of Panagia Malevi.

Monastery of Panagia Malevi

The monastery was originally founded in the 8th century in Canales, at a point higher than the point it is now, but due to adverse weather conditions and for the survival of the monks, in the 11th century the new church was built lower on the same mount by the monk Joseph Karatzas. The spot where the new monastery was built was pointed out by the Virgin herself to the hieromonk. In a place full of wadding she lit her candle curiously, indicating to the faithful the miraculous icon. The icon of the Virgin gushes the divine, heavenly myrrh the like of which has not existed on Earth. The fragrant myrrh appeared in the icon in 1964 and filled with the smell that was so intense the monastery and the surrounding area. It was a miracle of the Virgin different from all the rest. Her mouth was blinking and the myrrh was running like a fountain you open it. At first it was white as milk, then it was the blue of the sky, then it became like a diamond and last time transparent and has never changed since. Many wanted to give their own interpretation, but all in the end sang The most Holy Theotokos and believed even more in the living religion, Christianity. The miracle of the icon quickly spread to all parts of the Earth, and crowds of pilgrims came to worship and ask for the holy myrrh of the Virgin Mary. The monastery celebrates every year on August 23. In the Monastery of Malevi there is a chapel dedicated to saint Nile the Myroblete, who was born in village Agios Petros. From a young age he lived in the Monastery of Malevi next to his uncle, hieromonk Makarios. He was taught the sacred letters, but such was his zeal for the continuance of the divine word, that for some time he lived in an ascetarium. At a young age he received the gift of priesthood but at the same time he also learned the art of iconography. He continued his spiritual struggle until he peacefully rested on November 12, 1651. The gift of myrrh was given by God to the saint after his sleep. The recovery of his remains is celebrated on May 7.

Monastery of Panagia Malevi