Monemvasia

From the moment you arrive outside the impressive gate of the castle, which is only minutes away from the city of outer Monemvasia, you will enter in a world of magic.

The main cobbled street of the castle will show you the way to discover every aspect of this lively and well preserved castle which is surrounded by medieval walls and is located on a big rock making it invisible from one side to conquerors over the years.

Monemvasia’s name means One Entrance which implies the one and only entrance there was and still is, and made the castle an unconquerable fort during times of war.
As you enter the castle, a small alley to the left leads you to Giannis Ritsos’s house, a greek famous poet who was born here and who named Monemvasia “rock ship”, a name that only an artist could conceptualize.

The impressive byzantine church of Holy Mary which was renamed to Agia Sophia after the revolution of 1821 is built on top of the castle of Monemvasia, at the edge of a rock, right above the sea.

Tradition connects the church with the emperor Andronikos B’ Palaiologos, but sources indicate that the church is actually much older. The church continued to operate during the Venetian Period as Madonna del Castello OR Nostra Donna in Castello for the catholic’s needs. During the Ottoman period it was converted into a Muslim mosque with the extension of a mihrab which is still preserved on the south wall. During the second Venetian period the church was dedicated to Madonna del Carmine. At this period another extension was added. Then, the church operated again as a Muslim mosque during 1715-1821 and returned to its Christian mass after the liberation of the city and was dedicated to the wisdom of God and was considered the very image of Saint Sophia in Constantinople.