Monemvasia

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Monemvasia (Greek Μονεμβασία ( f sg ), also Monemvasia Monemwassia, Monembasia, Malvasy ) is a Greek town, which was in the Byzantine Empire important center and fortress. It is situated on a rock off the coast of Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. The municipality of Monemvasia was last increased significantly by the incorporation of four neighboring municipalities in 2011. The administrative headquarters was doing, moved from the city of Monemvasia after Molai, the largest settlement in the community.

Etymology

Your name comes from its location, Greek moni emvasia ( μονή εμβασία ) means only access '. It applied to the Greek Independence 1821-30 because of their heavy Einnehmbarkeit than that, Gibraltar of the East '. The city is the eponym for the Malvasia, a grape that was exported from there.

Location

The town Monemvasia is located on the seaward Southeast side of a rock of about 300 meters and 1.8 km in length. The settlement consists of two parts: the medieval walled lower town on the slope of the rock and the citadel on the height of the rock, which can be achieved only through a single, tortuous, steep and well secured way. The citadel is no longer inhabited since the 20s of the 20th century.

The municipality comprises Monemvasia ( except for a small area of ​​the municipality Elafonisos ) the whole Laconian peninsula between the Laconian Gulf in the west and the east Myrtoischen sea. In the north the communities Evrotas and Notia Kynouria adjacent to the church.

History

583 the first settlement on the rock of Monemvasia was built off the coast of the Peloponnese, exert as protection for the residents of nearby settlements on the mainland before the Slavic and Avar attacks, with the neglect of the Byzantine Balkan defense under Justinian I and his successors.

The city, where the Chronicle of Monemvasia arose, formed in the following centuries a refuge of Byzantine rule in southern Greece and was the starting point of the reconquest of the Peloponnese peninsula. The city was also important to secure the sea route from Constantinople to Venice Opel.

The fortress was impregnable long and held both the numerous Arab sieges as well as the Norman Conquest of 1147 stood trial. It is reported that a corn field in the citadel was present, which - along with the numerous cisterns - enough to feed a crew of 30 men on a permanent basis; so that the citadel was self-sufficient and could be defended indefinitely.

After the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade Monemvasia remained a free Byzantine city and could be forced to surrender until 1249 after a three year siege by the since 1204 the mainland controlling francs.

1263 had to return it with your Mystras to the Byzantine Empire, the Franks Monemvasia. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople Opel 1453, Mystras in 1460 and Trebizond in 1461 Monemvasia was what remained of the Roman Empire. Left to their own devices will not survive, the city assumed only a Catalan pirate who was expelled again soon, then the Pope, but was not militarily adequate protection in the situation and finally in 1464 Venice, to 1540 against the city Turks could hold.

1540-1690 Ottoman, the place from 1690 to 1715 again fell to Venice, after negotiations again in 1715 to the Turks. In the second Turkish era began a decline in population that reduced in its heyday, 10000-25000 people counting population to a few hundred.

The last free Greek city was in the War of 1821-1830, the first, had to give the Turks. 1822 met the first Greek National Assembly here. However, it was not possible the city to recover, she sank on the contrary almost completely into obscurity and was a dying village, which in 1971 was still part of 32 inhabitants. On the shore opposite the rock a modern village that Gefira ( " Bridge") was called, as opposed to the old city, the Kastro (see castrum ) is called.

After 1980 began the reconstruction of the old city, which is a popular weekend home of wealthy Athenians was now. Today the medieval buildings are gradually being restored; many of them have been converted to hotels.

Monemvasia is the birthplace of the Greek poet Yannis Ritsos, who is buried in the cemetery of Monemvasia. The Greek state has the Byzantine archaeological site of Monemvasia awarded the European Heritage Label.