Monemvasia Tourism Information Monemvasia , Peloponnese .
Monemvasia: Monemvasia is a medieval fortress with a small adjacent town and derived its name because the castle had only one entrance. It is located on the southeast Peloponnese in the prefecture of Lakonia. Monemvasia is 320 kilometers away from Athens by car, 100 kilometres from Sparti and 84 sea miles from Piraeus. The rock is 300m tall and 1.8 kilometres long and it was detached from mainland by an earthquake that occurred in 375CE. In the 6th century Lakonians who were seeking refuge from the Arabs built the castle and the walls around the city and made a small wooden bridge. In 1471 the Despot of Moreas Thomas Palaeologus sold the town to the Pope. The town was successfully governed by Venetians (1470-1540, 1690-1715) and Ottomans (1540-1690, 1715-1821). Monemvassia was liberated in 1821 with the Greek War of Indepedence.
In 1971 a bridge was built to link Monemvassia with mainland.
In recent days there is an increase of the tourists visiting the town and the fortress as well as the house and grave of Ioannis Ritsos one of the greatest Greek poets. Many buildings have been restored and converted into motels and hotels for the visitors.
Greece