THE VILLAGES OF MOUNTAIN LYKAION

Text and research by Giota Christoforou, translation by Eva Trombetas

If you find yourself at dawn in the small village of Kotylio, it's like being above the clouds. As the white veil of fog falls and the sun reveals its golden rays, the landscape is being unfolded and the green village appears.

Mount Lykaion

Crossing the road, which passes through Kotylio, the visitor is led to the top of mountain Lykaion. The village used to be called Dragoumanou and specifically until 1927. The inhabitants of the village are famous for their entrepreneurial spirit. These proud Arcadians helped in the development of the liberation of the Greeks as from their own village the first information was given about the fighters of the battle, which took place in the narrow streets of Agiothanasis of Karytaina, on March 27, 1821.

Kotylio

In recent years, an important religious monument has been added to the village. The Monastery of Gennadiou, glebe of the Holy Monastery of Sina, which has been built on an estate of 500 square meters at the entrance of the village and consists of the temple, a hall for cultural events and hosting rooms. It is dedicated to the memory of the Patriarch of Constantinople Gennadios (458-471), who fought against the heresy of monophysitism and for this reason is honored by the Orthodox Church as a Saint. In the cultural spaces, the rich cultural heritage of the oldest Christian monastery of the Sina Monastery in Egypt is displayed, which also has a great collection of manuscripts in its library.

Monastery of Gennadiou

The high mountain slopes opposite of Karytaina, the ones that quench their thirst from the coolness of Alfeios river, the ones that the sun first sees turning its rays from the Epicurean Apollo of Andritsaina, the ones that from ancient times created a company with the surrounding high mountains, invite anyone who visits them to see the magnificent view. Not wanting anything to darken and hide this wonderful painting of nature.

Karytaina

Up there all around, the tall Panagia near the village of Kourouni, as well as the high hill of the Frankish castle of Agios Giorgis of Skorta are keeping company, generously offering the beautiful nature of the place. In this area, because it was a passage for other cities, findings have been found from ruins that testify that here there were special passages for going to the other areas, but also for the protection of the inhabitants from invaders. It’s about the castle of St. George, which was founded during the Frankish occupation. It is hypothesized by some historians that in ancient times there was the Acropolis of the ancient city of Lykosura.

castle of Agios Giorgis of Skorta

Built on the slopes of Mount Lykaion, Kotylio together with Stroggylo and Pallatou are three beautiful and green villages. And nearby after Kotylio, the waterfall of Vrontos pours out raging. The access to get there is from Kotylio and Karytaina. You will see a beautiful spectacle, the harmony of nature, the large plane trees, the water that falls from a great height and the beautiful green-blue lake that is formed. The waterfall is located near the legendary stone bridge of Koukos, near the village of Maratha or Vlachorafti.

waterfall of Vrontos

Following the road from Karytaina that leads to Megalopolis, the locations and villages we are passing by are characterized by nature, sometimes drowned by bushes and sometimes clearings with green meadows, while the village houses are characterized as stone-built and sometimes beautiful. To the right and left along the provincial road there are small villages such as Kalyvakia, Soulou, Katsimbali, Karvounari with the unique chapel of Karvounareiki Panagia.

snowy road of Megalopolis

High plane trees and spring waters surround the small church that celebrates on August 23 while a crowd of people comes to worship the Virgin Mary. From the very old years, there was being held a big festival here. And at this point it would be a great honor for me to report a miracle that Our Lady performed on the eve of the great feast, to the family of my late father, who was then a small child, around 13 to 14 years old, in the years of occupation, in 1943. Born in the neighboring Karytaina from a family of millers, every year they were longing for this celebration. From the eve, the housewives were cooking the food they would take with them for the table, while the men were arranging for the wine. But there was great poverty and the pot could hardly be put on fire since they did not even have water in the village, unless the women carried it on their backs from afar. His own family would not be going to the festival the next day because they had nothing to eat, being even poorer than the poor. However, the Virgin Mary, who does not leave anyone, sent out of nowhere a rooster that had escaped from the truck that was transporting birds, struggling in the then bumpy main street heading to Andritsaina.

Karvounareiki Panagia

Situated on Mount Lykaion, built in archeological lands of Parassia, the villages of Mavria, Kyparissia, Marathousa, Thoknia, Apiditsa, Anthochori, Choremis, Neochori, Chrousa, are found in the trail of lignite. In the village of Tripotamo in Arcadia, where the tributaries of the river Alpheios meet, there is the beautiful church of Agia Paraskevi. Theodoros Kolokotronis hid there during the battle of Drambala. In recent years, efforts to promote the the land of Parassia by suitable representatives of the subject, but also the collective effort of associations and the participation of ordinary people with slow steps is heading towards a good road.

Agia Paraskevi, Tripotamo

The picturesque village of Isaris is being unfolded on the eastern slope of Ai Lias, overlooking the plain of Megalopolis and Messinia. With its stone houses and flower-decorated courtyards, like most villages in Arcadia, it won the title of traditional settlement. It also held the title of capital of the Municipality of Lykosoura from 1834 to 1912. However, even though the title was changed to a local community, nothing prevented its inhabitants until 1970 from being served by the valuable innumerable services that operated in their place. Now, among its attractions, is the railway station that once served the Athens-Kalamata line. In recent years, there has been an Ecclesiastical Museum operating as well as a Folklore Museum.

Isaris railway station

The churches and chapels of the village are built in beautiful locations. In the main square is the Byzantine-style church of Agios Nikolaos, being celebrated on December 6, unlike Agios Nikolaos in Kotronia which is being celebrated on May 9, a day of remembrance in Agios Nikolaos in Vouneni. Every year on the 15th of August, a divine liturgy is held in the chapel of Panagia and a festival follows. Around the village are built the beautiful chapels of Agios Nektarios, Agios Vassilios, Agios Georgios, Agios Dimitrios, Agia Paraskevi, Agioi Apostoloi, Agia Kyriaki, Agia Varvara and Profitis Ilias.

Isaris

Isaris is clearly linked with the unique in the world of religious and geological phenomenon chapel of Agia Theodora, which is located in the following village from Isari. The village of Vasta Megalopolis is proud of the chapel which is included as one of the most important religious monuments of the prefecture of Arcadia and the whole Peloponnese.

church of Agia Theodora, Vasta Megalopolis

And her hair became 17 plane trees and their roots were built into the soil and their branches flew high into the sky and became one with her body where was the temple, while her blood became water in the river that flows around it. The spectacle and the miracle that unfolds in this beautiful corner of Arcadia, is characterized as inexplicable from a scientific point of view. Saint Theodora of the Peloponnese, according to religious studies, was born in Arcadia, but the place of her martyrdom is believed to be either the monastery where she was a monk or the miraculous chapel. She lived between the 9th and 10th century and no one knows why she was being a monk in a men's monastery. She was distinguished for her virtues, patience, obedience and piety until a terrible plague devoured the Peloponnese. Her superiors sent her (being disguised as a monk) to Christian homes to help them, but there she was accused by a girl of molesting her. The decision for her punishment was beheading and the place chosen by the judges was the village of Vasta. When her true identity was revealed after her beheading, that she was a woman and not a man, the executioners asked God for forgiveness. Her memory is commemorated every year on September 11 with festive events. The road to the chapel is surrounded by tall oaks, making the location seem magical while the river whispers to the visitor its own magic. A little further down the watermill as well as the organized cottage center fills the area with delicious traditional scents, which challenge you to taste them.