2859 days ago
As I mentioned earlier, the Despotate of the Morea based at Mistras is noted not just for its military power but also as an early flowering of the renaissance in terms of art.
Having clambered up to the top of the fortress alone, I wandered down to where the Mrs was resting and we walked to see the Byzantine churches at the base. I hope that the photos below convey the glory of what we discovered inside, murals which on their own make Mistras a place to visit.
2859 days ago
The road to Mistras was an "interesting" drive but it was worth it as we headed round a corner and suddenly saw this great fortress on a hill. This truly is a place you must visit, yet, as we entered the site, there were just six cars in the car park. It is a hidden gem
The site was originally built by the Frankish prince William II of Villehardouin and lies on a spur of Mount Taygetos a few miles from the town of Sparta. Its claim to fame is that it was a Byzantine outpost long after Byzantium itself was in decline and falling. The Despotate of Morea controlled the whole of the Peloponnese between 1348 and 1460 with the Turks over-ran the area.
In part one of this article
