Monenvasia (whose nickname is the “Gibraltar of the East”) is an island joined to the mainland of the Peloponnese by a narrow causeway. Structurally it is very similar to but much smaller than Gibraltar. The feeling of being attached to but very much separate from the mainland is really quite pronounced.
The little town on the island dates back to the 6th century (barely 300 years after the island became an island in an earthquake). As with many ancient towns in Greece, it was occupied by the Arabs, the Normans and finally became part of the Byzantine empire. It was a key trading post and had been in existence for five hundred years before the crusades. From the 1500’s to the 1800’s it was ruled by the Venetians and the Ottoman Turks.
As you might expect, with this varied and long history, the little town is quite fascinating. Narrow walking streets, really just alleyways, meander through the town and spread up the hill towards the fortifications on the top. It was Easter Sunday and the restaurants were filled with Greeks enjoying lunch. Even this early in the season, it was quite busy and must be quite a place in the height of the summer heat and tourist season.
We ate lunch in the town and lamb seemed to be obligatory. Each time we eat stewed lamb in Greece, we are stuck by just how tender it is. It must be cooked very slowly for hours to achieve this wonderful consistency. We tried Monemvasia wine (not really just from the little island) and found it to be quite a delicate flavorful very light red. We’ll have to see if we can find some of that in stores in the region.
Walled town of Monemvasia from the sea
Byzantine Church Monemvasia