Guided tour: Kalamata

Today we will visit the city of Kalamata. Kalamata is a city in southwestern Peloponnese and port of southern mainland. The city is built at the foot of Mt Cart (Taygetos edge) in the heart of Messinian Bay. It has a temperate Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winter. The story begins in Kalamata from Homer, who mentions it as Fares. The modern name of Kalamata probably comes from an old Byzantine monastery which was dedicated to Virgin Mary the Kalomata. Kalamata had limited significance during the ancient period of lying under laconic sovereignty by the mid-8th century BC until mid-4th century BC Acquires prestige after the Fourth Crusade (1204 AD) when passed into the hands of the Franks. Geoffrey Villehardouin builds the castle and starts the economic prosperity of the city. The Ottomans occupied Kalamata for the first time in 1459, but the city changed hands between them and the Venetians till 1715, when the Turks finally prevailed, until 1821 which was released. The city today is an important urban, economic and commercial center of the area and has a lively nightlife winter and summer.
We will visit the following points:
– the 13th century castle,
– the Ypapandi’s church (cathedral of the town)
– and the historical church of the Holy Apostles.
Duration of visit: 2 hours walking tour
Water, hat and sunglasses, loose clothing and comfortable shoes needed.
Admission: Castle full €2 (closed on Tuesdays), visit of the churches free
Then there will be time for free lunch and shopping around the historical center of Kalamata.

Optional

Next we will visit the Archaeological Museum of Messinia in the historical center of Kalamata. The museum building is located at the heart of the historic center of Kalamata, where the Municipal Market of the city used to be, a place that was bustling with merchants and shoppers every day. Following the disastrous earthquake in 1986, the Market building was demolished, as it had been severely damaged. The building which replaced the old Market was given by the Municipality of Kalamata to the Ministry of Culture in order to become an Archaeological Museum. The exhibition aims to display the antiquities of Messenia from the Prehistoric times until the Byzantine era in the most complete way possible, so that the visitor may form a well rounded view of the cultural development of each region through the ages by visiting each exhibition section. Reflecting the old geographical division of the prefecture into four provinces, Kalamata, Messene, Pylia, Trifylia, the exhibition unfolds in corresponding large geographical sections, which comprise the most important archaeological sites and representative antiquities, either from excavations or surface surveys, or occasionally from citizens. Periodical exhibition of Pyxides presents great interest and is worth visiting.

Duration of visit: almost 1 and a half hour.

Admission for the museum: full €3, reduced price €2 (for visitors over 65 years old), free entrance for children.