• From the castle to March 23 square
• Aristomenous street: from March 23 square to the main square and the beach
• The Kalamata port and beach
• At the outskirts of the city

FROM THE CASTLE TO MARCH 23 SQUARE
The castle and the historical neighborhood that surrounds it form the oldest hub of the city of Kalamata. A plethora of religious monuments and buildings located here illustrate the city’s history in a most vibrant and colorful way. Many of these buildings have been turned over to new uses and are being wonderfully renovated to host cultural activities.

The castle
The castle of Kalamata, the centerpiece of Angelos Terzakis’ celebrated novel Princess Isambeau, has become integrated into the city’s urban fabric and is typical of the castles built by the Franks in the Peloponnese in order to rapidly assert their dominance. The castle has been attributed to the Villehardouins, the historic family that established the Principality of Achaea. Over the centuries, however, the castle often found itself at the heart of conflicts; it was seized by the Byzantine armies, Franks, Albanians, Venetians and Ottomans and played an [ read the chapter » ]

Aristomenous street, which was constructed in 1871 and was originally named “Paralia-Kalamon National Road (or Highway),” begins at March 23 Square. It was the first road connecting the city as it was then to the coast, and remains to this day the main road and a reference point for the town.

The broadening of Aristomenous street gave a significant boost to the city’s trade and construction sectors. The original (northern) section of the street and those leading off it concentrate a significant number of neoclassical buildings, while the main square, several public services and the Railway Park are also located along it.

Heading down Aristomenous street towards the main square and the coast brings us to the corner of Aristomenous and Kolokotroni streets. At east we see the Church of Aghios Nikolaos Filarios, one of Kalamata’s first modern churches, built in 1860, around about the same time as the churches of Ypapanti tou Sotiros and Aghios Ioannis Prodromos.

The parish of Aghios Nikolaos contains a number of neoclassical buildings, many of which house [ read the chapter » ]

The port used to be the most important source of Kalamata’s livelihood.
It was the cornerstone of the city’s commercial development and urban expansion from the castle to the beach. Up until the early 19th century, of course, the coast was a deserted strip of marshland, lakes and bush.

The first settlement (at the western end of the beach), Analipsi, dates back to pre-revolutionary times and was originally composed of warehouses, shops, etc. The customs office, or Douana, also used to be located there –thus the name Palia Douana, or Old Douana–, while there were also tanneries, after which the area is also known as Tabakika. Sea transport was restricted to the summer months and conducted on boats or barges, while in the winter goods and passengers would use the natural Bay of Almyros.

In 1860 the eastern end of the coast became developed into a new settlement called «Neai Kalamaea». Three years later the customs office was transferred here, to the spot where Faron street ends, and the area was named Nea (New) Douana.

The foundation [ read the chapter » ]

The Monastery of Zoodochou Pigis Velanidias
The monastery is located 7 kilometers northeast of Kalamata, near the old Kalamata-Alagonia road. It is built at an altitude of 350-400 meters and according to an inscription found on the monastery’s lintel it was founded in 1697. It was built in honor of Zoodochos Pigi (Source of Life).

Architecturally, it is encircled by a close on all four sides and today has 26 cells in front of which there is a continuous balcony. The ground floor comprises of storage rooms, stables and three cisterns. The compound also used to have a tower, which was, however, destroyed in 1885. The katholikon (main church) is a typical variation of the single -vaulted, wooden ceiling church, with a three - sided apse on the eastern exterior wall. The building was rebuilt following an earthquake in 1696 and since then it has undergone numerous alterations and repairs. In 1862, however, it was almost completely destroyed by yet another earthquake and was rebuilt anew.

The [ read the chapter » ]