Greece - Korina Miller [152]
Thankfully these feuds, some of which took entire armies to halt, are long forgotten and the Maniots are as friendly and hospitable as Greeks elsewhere. The architecture lives on, however, and the buildings – there’s a mini construction boom going on – must adhere to stone exteriors.
It’s worth including this region in your itinerary. The steep tumbling skirts of the Taÿgetos Mountains (threaded with wonderful walking trails) and the tiny coves and ports nestling beside them make for some memorably dramatic scenery. As well as the towers, there are magnificent churches, and caves.
The Mani is generally divided into the Messinian Mani (or outer Mani) and the Lakonian (or inner) Mani. The Messinian Mani starts southeast of Kalamata and runs south between the coast and the Taÿgetos Mountains, while the Lakonian Mani covers the rest of the peninsula south of Itilo.
Anyone visiting the region should definitely arm themselves with a copy of Patrick Leigh Fermor’s Mani, a vivid and erudite account of the area (he loved the region so much he settled here). Keen explorers should ask at local shops for Inside The Mani: A Walking Guide by Mat Dean, and The Mani by Bob Barrow and Mat Dean. The books are full of walking and information gems about the region’s villages, towers and churches. Also worth reading is Deep into Mani by Eliopoulis and Greenhold.
History
The people of the Mani regard themselves as direct descendants of the Spartans. After the decline of Sparta, citizens loyal to the principles of Lycurgus (founder of Sparta’s constitution) chose to withdraw to the mountains rather than serve under foreign masters. Later, refugees from occupying powers joined these people, who became known as Maniots, from the Greek word ‘mania’.
The Maniots claim they are the only Greeks not to have succumbed to foreign invasions. This may be somewhat exaggerated but the Maniots have always enjoyed a certain autonomy and a distinctive lifestyle. Until independence the Maniots lived in clans led by chieftains. Fertile land was so scarce that it was fiercely fought over. Blood feuds were a way of life and families constructed towers as refuges.
The Turks failed to subdue the Maniots, who eagerly participated in the War of Independence. But, after 1834, although reluctant to relinquish their independence, they became part of the new kingdom.
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LAKONIAN MANI
Grey rock, mottled with defiant clumps of green scrub, characterises the Scottish-like mountains of inner Mani. Cultivatable land is at a premium, and supports little more than a few stunted olives and figs. The wild flowers that cloak the valleys in spring exhibit nature’s resilience by sprouting from the rocks.
The indented coast’s sheer cliffs plunge into the sea, and rocky outcrops shelter pebbled beaches. This wild and barren landscape is broken only by austere and imposing stone towers, many now being restored, still standing sentinel over the region.
With your own vehicle you can explore the Mani by the loop road that runs down the west coast from the main town, Areopoli, to Gerolimenas, and return via the east coast (or vice versa). Public transport exists, although is limited.
Areopoli Αρεóπολη
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Areopoli (ah-reh-o-po-lih), capital of the Mani, is aptly named after Ares, the god of war. Dominating the main square, Plateia Athanaton, is a statue of Petrobey Mavromihalis, who proclaimed the Maniot insurrection against the Turks. Konstantinos and Georgios Mavromihalis (1765–1848), who assassinated Kapodistrias, belonged to the same family. The town retains many other reminders of its rumbustious past.
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION
The town is split into two parts: the new upper town, around Plateia Athanaton, and the old lower town, around Plateia 17 Martiou.