As the car stops in the parking lot of the METHONI BEACH hotel, the odometer shows 700 kilometers exactly and my watch informs me that eight and a half hours have passed since Thessaloniki was lost behind us. A long and beautiful journey, from morning to afternoon more than half of overland Greece has passed through our eyes. On the last part of the route, the one from Patras to Methoni, the deep blue of the Ionian Sea constantly alternates with the varied green of the olive groves and vineyards of Moria. Kyparissia, Filiatra, Gargaliani, Pylos, beautiful towns with history and tradition. On the edge of the Messinian peninsula, Methoni, the southwesternmost place of the Peloponnesian mainland, a meeting point and an ancient confrontation of the Ionian and Aegean waves. At the centre of this perpetual struggle between the two seas, the Castle of Methoni stands fearlessly, almost insolently.

Our eyes are filled with admiration as we gaze at the towering gates, the bastions and towers, the strong walls that reach out to the sea. Farther still, at the edge of the peninsula, where the wild rocks look like dwarves planted in the water, a silhouette stands tall and proud, Bourtzi. Outside the protection of the fortification, lonely and cut off from the castle, Bourtzi seems to defy the Aegean’s sorokades, the mighty Pointe and the Ionian’s maestros.

The rays of the setting sun are lowering, slowly losing their glow and heat.

The vast embrace of the Gulf of Methoni is sweetened by the light of the evening. A few floats, tied to a plough, climb the baize and sway gently. The last swimmers churn the waters a little longer and then decide to abandon the lure of the sea.

At the castle some late visitors take care of the step to catch the open gate. Spindly lanterns on the shore awaken from their daytime slumber and light up, heralding with their pale presence the coming of night. A night of July, sweet and carefree, here in front of the bay of Methoni, on the edge of Moria.

Beautiful moments with beautiful people

-I wonder, such a place, how we didn’t know it before, I say to Takis. So many years, so many times in the Peloponnese, we never strayed as far as this southwestern edge. Always some other destination stopped us in between.

At the tavern on the coast we clink our glasses with cool white wine from the region. Then we taste the fresh fish, caught off the coast of Methoni, where the waters of the Ionian and the Aegean meet. Sitting opposite us, Takis Katsiras smiles. He has just arrived a few minutes ago from Kalamata and seems particularly happy to be with us. After all, he was the reason why we are drinking our wine this wonderful evening, 700 km away from Thessaloniki.

Takis Katsiras, a friend and subscriber of the magazine since a long time ago, recently decided to activate this relationship and get in touch with us. A nature lover, patriotic and with great sensitivity for the environment and culture in general, he was not content to invite us to his place of origin but sent us many great facts about the whole region. Natural environment amazing and unknown to the general public, picturesque states, famous castles, Mani villages with their towers and history, monuments of Byzantium and antiquity, islands with historical past and unique peculiarities, all this and so much more flocked to our office and created an unexpected but pleasant headache for us. Where to begin! It was a material, a real treasure for the variety of subjects and the extraordinary interest that the Messinian land presents, a multidimensional interest for all seasons, not only for the simple visitor of the summer beaches but also for the most demanding nature-loving traveller or the researcher of history and tradition.

– I have devised a plan of action, which aspires within a week to make use of every available second and present you with a complete picture of the most important points of interest of the Messinian land, our friend tells us. We are planning sea trips to the islets of Messinia, car trips and hikes, visits to archaeological sites, acquaintance with gorges unknown to the general public, walks in Mani and in historical cities with their castles, tours in the mountainous Messinian country.

Immediately afterwards, Takis begins to list details with routes, distances, names of famous cities and archaeological sites, locations of outstanding natural beauty, which could keep the interest of every traveller and nature lover undiminished for more than a month.

We are amazed by our friend’s great desire to make us partakers of all the wondrous places of Messinia, but also by his optimism that we can, even if we run all day, catch up with them all.

– It’s exciting, Takis, your plan. But it has a serious drawback. The only free time it provides is from midnight to dawn, which, traditionally, are considered sleeping hours.

– So we will modify it to include several breaks, our friend replies with a laugh. Despite Takis’s “modifications”, however, our next days in Messinia were a stormy alternation of performances in seas and on land, gorges and Mani villages, archaeological sites and castles, with many difficult kilometres of driving and several hours of hiking in hot weather. However, there were also moments of relaxation with swimming in exquisite beaches, participation in an authentic feast in a traditional Mani village and pleasant night hours in the company of local wine, delicious food and nice people of Messinia.

THE HOTEL “METHONI BEACH”

After our long wanderings we end up late at night at the pergola of the METHONI BEACH Hotel. This open-air space covering the whole south-southwestern part of the hotel is furnished with excellent taste and taste and is covered with a wonderful wooden canopy. It is located in the most privileged position of the city since just 20 meters in front of it stretches the wonderful sandy beach of the Gulf of Methoni with its shallow, crystal clear and almost always calm waters, a place ideal for swimming even for small children.

The view of course is unobstructed over a large inland part of Methoni, over the entire panoramic arc of its vast bay and the uncharted – usually uncharted – waters of the Aegean Sea as far as the southeastern horizon. A mile away, on the southern horizon, the varied mass of Sapienza dominates, with its successive peaks, the indentations of the ground and its necks.

Even more majestic is the image that is revealed to the west, dominated by the presence of the famous castle of Methoni.

Its stunning fortification, considered perhaps the best preserved fortification in the Mediterranean, begins just 30 days west of the hotel.

Its impressive bulk continues along the entire length of the west coast, to end in the most spectacular way on the small rocky peninsula. There, encircled to the west by the Ionian Sea and to the east by the Aegean Sea, Bourtzi, the bold bastion of the castle facing the sea, rises with its unparalleled majesty.

It is in this magnificent place that every morning we find the start of the day, with the first rays of the sun gilding the serene surface of the sea. Here, coffee is a real treat, topped off with the hotel’s rich buffet. Even cooler and more enjoyable is the dusk time, when the sun sets behind the Castle. It is the time of reverie and absolute tranquility, which enchanted us from the very first moment of our arrival in Methoni. A little later, as the light in the bay diminishes, the lights begin to come on in the seaside tavernas, bars, houses and streets. Along with them, the candles on the tables are lit and the METHONI BEACH Hotel welcomes its night visitors with a variety of wines and drinks and with its excellent cuisine, dominated by seafood pasta and shrimp pasta.

Some of these hours, after a busy day, our hosts, Aria Pitsaki and Kostas Spiliopoulos, find the opportunity to sit with us. People who are nice and kind, with high standards and sophisticated views on the sensitive area of tourism, took over the fate of this historic accommodation a year ago, which originally operated in 1964 as the “Hostel” of Methoni. It was a time of glory when it offered hospitality to the most important personalities visiting the area. The hotel then passed under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Methoni and operated until 1997, when it was abandoned. In the years of decline that followed, the neglected building did not resemble the stately lodgings of the past and no one believed that it could regain its lost glory. Perhaps the only ones who envisioned the revival of the old glory days were Kostas and Aria, who, apart from the large financial investment, put all their taste, taste, time and care into it.

In 2002 METHONI BEACH, this jewel in the most beautiful part of Methoni, reopened its doors fully modernized and renovated and since then it continues to offer high quality services in its 12 comfortable rooms and suite.

GETTING TO KNOW METHONI

From the very first moment, it is a great challenge to pass through the gates of the Castle of Methoni, to enter its interior, unseen from the towering fortifications, and to wander along the paths of history. But we prefer to postpone this moment for a while and get to know Methoni first. As Athena Tarsoulis wrote in 1934 in her book “Castles and States of Moria”, Methoni or Motoni took its name from the small stone island that stands in front of its port, today’s Mandraki, which Pausanias calls “The Mothon Stone”. Perhaps it may have been named after Oeneas’ daughter, Methoni. When the Argives expelled the Nafpliotes from Argolida, the Lacedaemonians granted them Methoni, which was then a Laconian state, for habitation.

In Roman times Methoni had a wide variety of its own coins engraved with Hephaestus, Asclepius, Poseidon, Athena, Tyche, Artemis, as well as the Romans Septimus Severus, Caracalla and Trajan. For Methoni’s famous wine, many times the corsair seafarers fell upon its fertile shores and ravaged them, carrying overflowing galleys of sacks full of must. Methoni became better known after the Middle Ages, when many pilgrims passed through its port on their way from the west to the Holy Land. For these foreigners, the wondrous wine of Methoni was the greatest temptation. A Francophile, Faber, used to say: ‘The very memory of the musk of Methoni makes me happy’. It is no coincidence, then, that the ancient name of the ‘vineyard of Pedasos’ is not accidental.

The smooth area surrounding Methoni has always made it easy for any raider to access it. In 1146 it was destroyed by the Normans and later, during the Fourth Crusade of 1204, it came under the rule of the Frankish king Godefroid I! In the end, in 1143, it was taken over by the Holy Roman Empire under the rule of King Gustavus II of France, under the rule of Gustavus II of France, under the rule of Gustavus II of France. With the Treaty of 1209 between Villardouin and the Venetians, Methoni – like Koroni – is placed under Venetian rule. During its long association with the Venetians for 300 years, Methoni experienced its greatest prosperity and became an important naval and commercial station between the West, Egypt and Syria. In addition to the great fortification of the city, the Venetians exercised administrative and legislative power to regulate social and economic life in the interests of the metropolis.

Methoni’s great prosperity was interrupted in 1500 when it was occupied by the Turks of Bayezid II, who gave in to great slaughter and pillage, while only a small part of the population managed to take refuge in Zakynthos. So great is the desolation of the city that Bayezid orders the population to be reinforced with settlers from the Turkish-occupied towns of Moria.

In 1685 the Venetian admiral Morolini besieged and occupied Methoni and Koroni. This recapture of the two cities was celebrated with solemn ceremonies in Venice. But in fact it was the last glimpse of Venetian rule. After 30 years, in 1715, the two cities were reconquered by the Turks. At the end of the Turkish occupation, on 26 February 1825, Ibrahim Pasha docked his fleet in the port of Methoni and took up residence in the Turkish headquarters. Finally, and after the destruction of the Turkish-Egyptian armada at Navarino, Methoni and Koroni were liberated in 1828 by the allied forces under General Maizon.

In conclusion, we could say that the period of prosperity of Methoni lasted during the three centuries of Venetian rule. (1209-1500). All the later period covering the A! Turkish occupation (1500-1685), the second Turkish occupation (1500-1685), the second Turkish occupation (1500-1685), the second Turkish occupation (1500-1685) and the third Turkish occupation (1500-1685). Venetian rule (1685-1715) and the Second Venetian period (1685-1715). (1715-1828), is characterised by economic and social decline and a shrinking population.

After its liberation, Methoni gradually began to regain some of its economic prosperity through the cultivation and trade in olive oil and raisins. The town within the castle, however, was completely ruined, to such an extent that it is impossible to draw conclusions about the typological and morphological configuration of the houses and the general urban planning of the town. This complete disappearance of the houses was mainly due to their poor wooden construction, which was probably even used as fuel in difficult times.

From the 19th century onwards, Methoni began to develop outside the castle, mainly to the north and east. Walking through the streets and alleys of the city is very pleasant. Most of it is flat and developed along the two parallel roads, used as the entrance and exit of the city. These two main roads are connected by a succession of vertical streets, some of which climb up to the upper part of the town, giving it a picturesque amphitheatre-like appearance, while others lead to the sea. The dominant ornamental element of these two streets is the abundance of red hibiscus, whose vivid colours blend pleasantly into the dense building fabric of the town. The same pleasant image is created by the flowery courtyards of the houses, with bougainvillea, jasmine and many other flowers, while there are also large lemon trees and banana trees, some of which already have several small bananas.

Along the two main roads is also concentrated the shopping center with almost all the decks but also with many bars, cafes and taverns, some of which are particularly picturesque. Many picturesque and remarkable tavernas can also be found on the streets leading to the sea, as well as along the coast. Apart from the METHONI BEACH hotel, which dominates with its imposing building and its prominent position, there are scattered in various parts of the settlement many small and medium accommodation facilities, which form a remarkable tourist infrastructure.

Of particular interest is the observation of the architectural characteristics of the town’s houses. In principle, the densest building density is observed along the two main roads that cross Methoni. The dimensions of the houses, which are built consecutively, are striking. As a rule, they are of the two-storey mansion type – urban, with a rectangular plan, usually narrow-fronted towards the side of the road, from where the main access is direct. The courtyard is located on the side or at the back of the house, from where the main access to the floor is by external stairs.

On the upper floor the hall occupies the entire main face of the house and is the largest and most important space, extending symmetrically across the elevation. These balconies are the most characteristic morphological element in all the townhouses – urban houses of Methoni. They are particularly careful in their construction, usually wooden, no more than one metre wide and supported by curved metal frames placed at 60 to 80 cm intervals.

The main materials used in the construction of these houses are stone and wood and, secondarily, iron. The internal partitions consist of a wooden frame with a reed and mortar filling. The roofs, gabled or four-pitched, are covered with tiles, while the ridge tiles at the four ends of the roof are placed at an angle of 45° upwards, forming these peculiar endings, which are very characteristic of the area.

Apart from the urban mansions, the second type of houses in Methoni are the folk houses, which are generally found outside the central core of the settlement and create the picturesque neighbourhoods with their narrow uphill streets, especially in the upper part of the town. They do not have the size and the rich construction of the urban mansions but are distinguished by their human dimensions, their generally low height, their exterior colouring and their courtyards, from which access to the interior is mainly ensured.

In conclusion, we could say that despite the attempt to imitate Venetian models, the local settlement tradition and the local craftsmen gave a completely different aesthetic result, which created a particular style in local architecture.

IN THE CASTLE OF METHONI

The time has come to get to know the legendary Castle of Methoni, to cross the great stone bridge with its fourteen arches and to gaze over our heads in awe at the majestic northern main entrance. Noon is our first visit, under a cruel and unforgiving sun. Shadows are scarce in the vast interior bare space, we seek them next to the domed volumes of the Turkish hammams and the Agia Sotira, the old Venetian cathedral of St. John the Theologian.

Early morning is the second visit and near sunset the third. The light shades change, the colours change, the volumes take on a new dimension. The impression, however, always remains the same: admiration for the magnificence and excellence of Venetian fortification art, but mixed with sadness for the ruins left after the ravages of man and time. And I cannot help but recall Athena Tarsoulis’ reflections when, in the early 1930s, she saw the Castle of Methoni, silent in its desolation:

It is always with sadness that I see castles being demolished. Many ache at their ruin; but there are others who see them as witnesses of our long slavery to foreign masters and rejoice in their demolition, as if it were to erase from history with it all that was written about what was done and what is not erased. And yet these seem like fairy-tale palaces, among the unwritten spots that speak and the same venerable ruins that we should sympathetically care for, as a civilized victor would do to his vanquished enemy. What if he too were once a gentleman in a foreign land? Every day now, dying, he recounts his forgotten glories, which with the centuries have passed into the realms of fairy tales. And the longer the times, the more beautiful the tales become.