This lavishly illustrated book stands out in its field as the only book currently available on the best-preserved Byzantine city in the Peloponnese – Monemvasia. Haris A. Kalligas, a world authority on Monemvasia’s history and architecture, here explores the city’s foundation, its status as a powerful maritime centre of Byzantium, and its gradual decline after the fall of the Empire. Founded on a rock off the eastern shore of the Morea in the late sixth century A.D, Monemvasia was populated by the inhabitants of Sparta and was to become an important port. The citizens retained their ancient institutions, while they developed maritime activities, both military and commercial. The eleventh and twelfth centuries were particularly prosperous for the city, and it remained a centre of commercial activity during the last Byzantine period. When the Turks seized Byzantium, Monemvasia came first under papal and then Venetian rule and changing conditions led to its gradual decline. The Venetians handed the city over to the Turks in 1540 and returned in 1690 for a period of twenty-five years. After a second Ottoman occupation, Monemvasia was the first city to be liberated by the Greeks during the War of Independence in 1821. Using sources from all periods, along with original material based on research on the architectural and urban history of the city, Monemvasia is a comprehensive study of a unique city – a city within the Byzantine Empire which preserved institutions of municipal autonomy and self government originating from the Roman period.

The foundation of Monemvasia in the southern Peloponnese has always been related to the raid of the Slavs, for which the sources are few but the literature is vast. This study seeks to analyse existing sources and evaluate and correlate them in the hope that some facts can be established to illuminate the evolution of the city. In his introduction, Sir Steven Runciman writes, `Dr Kalligas has brought to her task a close acquaintance both of the written sources and of the place itself, together with a broad outlook and a wise and careful judgement. All this gives her work great authority.'

This volume provides a complex discussion of the variety of social efforts which were undertaken to create meaningful communities in the process of the formation of the early medieval gentes and kingdoms in the post-Roman west.

Walk in the steps of Socrates, test the acoustics of the amphitheater of Epidavros, and set sail for Santorini: with Rick Steves, Greece is yours to explore! Inside Rick Steves Greece: Athens & The Peloponnese you'll find: Comprehensive coverage for spending two weeks or more exploring Greece Rick's strategic advice on how to get the most out of your time and money, with rankings of his must-see favorites Top sights and hidden gems, from the Parthenon and the Agora to the small towns and beaches of the Peloponnesian Peninsula How to connect with culture: Go back in time at the National Archaeological Museum, sample olives and feta in the Mediterranean sunshine, or sip ouzo at a local taverna Beat the crowds, skip the lines, and avoid tourist traps with Rick's candid, humorous insight The best places to eat, sleep, and relax Self-guided walking tours of lively neighborhoods and incredible museums Detailed maps for exploringon the go Useful resources including a packing list, a Greek phrase book, a historical overview, and recommended reading Over 500 bible-thin pages include everything worth seeing without weighing you down Complete, up-to-date information on Athens, Nafplio, Epidavros, Mycenae, Olympia, Patra, Kardamyli, the Mani Peninsula, Sparta, Mystras, Delphi, Hydra, Mykonos, Delos, Santorini, and more Make the most of every day and every dollar with Rick Steves Greece: Athens & the Peloponnese. Spending a week or less in the city? Check out Rick Steves Pocket Athens!

First published in 1953, this book presents a description of 16 of the larger medieval fortresses in the Peloponnese, occupied by the Venetians between 1685 and 1715. It is also a beautifully written celebration of some of Greece's most striking, but also least studied, architectural monuments, inspired by a unique collection of 17th-century fortification plans (the Grimani codex) preserved in the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The author first saw the plans in 1948 and devoted the next four years of his life to a historical and archaeological investigation of the castles they depicted. At a time when most of the students at the American School were studying the classics, his interest in later Greek history was pioneering. He not only searched out hundreds of obscure documentary sources but also made a point of visiting, and personally describing and photographing, every castle. This was not an easy thing to do at the tail end of the Greek Civil War. The final publication was an instant classic, marked out by its evocative prose and Andrews's obvious fascination with the subject. The book has been long out of print. This new edition presents Andrews's original text with a new introduction which sets the work in context and discusses some of the developments in Greek castle studies since the 1950s. The Grimani maps, originally printed only in black and white, are now presented in their original colors.

From the evocative ruins of Olympia to the towering Taygetos mountains, from crystal-clear seas and pristine beaches to stone villages steeped in tradition, with clear advice and honest opinions Bradt's "Peloponnese "shows you all.