Friday, 10 September 2010

The Peloponnese: A Brief History and Some Sites of Interest.

As with all of Greece a lot has happened in the Peloponnese, writing about it all would take weeks so I am going to give you a brief in sight into its history, as well as provide you with some links if you want to learn more.  It is known for its importance in the Mythological world as it is the scene of many myths and the name Peloponnese means 'island of Pelops' the hero who was said to have conquered the entire area.

Throughout the years the Peloponnese has been part of the Roman republic, the Byzantium Empire, been subject to Arab raids, incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and the list goes on.  It was also where the start of the Greek War of Independence occurred at Kalamata in 1821.


Olympia, Npflion & Mycenae

Images from stoupabay.co.uk, tooth-tourism.com & teachers.sduhsd.net


Needless to say there is a lot to see in the different areas. You have a huge array of historical attractions from  Mycenaean palaces, Byzantine cities, and Frankish and Venetian fortresses. There is the Theatre of Epidavros, Ancient Olympia, Mycenae, Ancient Asine and the Venetian stronghold of Monemvasia.  There are various beautiful cities and areas to  discover like Napflio ( the original capital of Greece before Athens),  Sparta, The Corinth and Kalamata. Of course, there are many more sites to see but these are just a few examples of what the Peloponnese has to offer.

Arkadian Mountains, Sparta & Voidokoilia Beach

Images from andrewvanz.blogspot.com, virtualtourist.com & hotelnavarone.gr

On top of all this there are of course amazing beaches and coves like the beaches of Messinia  and awe inspiring, wildflower-covered mountains of Arkadia, or in the rugged Mani).  There truly is something for everyone and a landscape to die for.


Below are the sites I promised at the start.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peloponnese

www.ancientgreece.com/s/Wars/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/the-peloponnese

www.fodors.com/world/europe/greece/peloponnese

http://www.greeklandscapes.com/greece/peloponnese01.html

The Peloponnese is a mythical and magical place and really deserves to be in the running for you venue choice.  I know everyone dreams of a Greek island wedding but technically, since the Corinth Canal was built in the 1893, it is!

NY

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