The Peloponnese is separated from the rest of Greece by the narrow isthmus of Corinth. Coming from Attica and beyond the Corinth canal – this land was of paramount importance in the 1821-1831 revolution.
Peloponnese means “the island of Pelops” – Pelops, fed to the Gods by his father, was the founder of a mythical line of kings that ruled here.
Further to the west is Ancient Olympia, one of the most important athletic and religious centers of the ancient world. Our modern Olympic games were born here from the games that began in 777 BC. The coastal plain and shoreline are dotted with medieval castles. The Franks established a principality here.
Byzantine ruins are found at Mystras, one of the most important sites for the study of art and architecture from the period.
The Venetians are also prominent in the Peloponnese history, as these traders held out on the Peloponnese long after they lost other possibilities in the Aegean. Their castles are still visible at Methoni and Monemvasia today.
The peninsula also includes wild, rugged terrain – in Arcadia’s hinterlands in the central Peloponnese or the Mani peninsula to the south, another remote ]step back in time’ site.
Greece in Focus 