LOWER TOWN OF MONEMVASSIA

Dominated by the cliffs of Monemvassia rock, the lower town (Κάτω Πόλη/Kato Poli) is also known as Kastropolitia: the "city of the castle". It's a real pleasure to explore on foot: cobbled streets, old houses, churches, ramparts and terraces overlooking the Myrto Sea. Covering an area of 5 hectares, it is surrounded by walls built by the Byzantines from 583 onwards. Donkeys are the only means of transporting suitcases to the hotels and goods to the restaurants, shops and few permanent residents. The entrance is via the mighty Western Gate, which forms a chicane to slow down attackers. Immediately to the left is the childhood home of the great communist poet Yannis Ritsos (1909-1990), whose work was set to music by composers such as Mikis Theodorakis.

In the footsteps of the poet. Despite spending seven years in the prison islands, Ritsos helped to make Monemvassia a household name. His bronze bust stands in front of the small salmon-pink building erected a year after his birth, just a few streets away. And the poet's grave continues to be planted in the cemetery along the access road, 400 m to the west. The house cannot be visited, but tourist stores, bars and restaurants are concentrated in Yannis Ritsos Street. After 150 m, the main square offers a good summary of Monemvassia's eventful history. The large Christos Elkomenos ("Christ with Bonds") church houses a precious ^12th-century icon of the Crucifixion. It was founded by the Byzantines around the ^7th century. But it was rebuilt in the ^13th century, shortly after the brief occupation by William II of Villehardouin (1248-1262), enlarged during the second Venetian period (1690-1715) and partly destroyed by Turkish-Albanian troops during the Greek-Russian uprising of 1770. Opposite stands the ancient Fethiye ("Conquest") Mosque, built after the end of the first Venetian period (1470-1540), when the city was ceded to the Ottomans. It now houses the Monemvassia Archaeological Collection: marble iconostasis from a Byzantine church discovered at sea, bas-relief of the Venetian lion, stone elements from ancient water supply systems..

Malvasia wines. Then stroll through the narrow streets to discover a dozen churches built between the ^16th and ^18th centuries, as well as the houses, which are highly concentrated and often feature narrow facades opening onto courtyards with trees and gardens. The most imposing of these buildings sometimes belonged to the Byzantine or Venetian aristocracy, sometimes to wealthy Malvasia wine merchants. This sweet white wine owes its name to the Venetian Monemvassia (Malvasia). Highly prized by European courts from the ^14th to ^17th centuries, it was only transhipped here, with most of the production coming from Crete. The wine trade ceased with the Ottomans, but "malvasia" varieties spread throughout Europe: malvasia from Touraine, malvasia from Lanzarote, malvasia di Lipari, malmsey from Madeira... To the south, the gateway to the Portello district allows you to go for a swim along a concrete pontoon. To the east, the small Eastern Gate opens onto a 600 m path leading to the Monemvassia lighthouse (1897). To the north, the Central Gate guards the entrance to the upper town.