|
CORINTHIA
Coming from Athens, Corinthia is
the first prefecture you come to in the Peloponnese, the first sign of
warmth and excitement. The aromas of the sea, the mountains, the harvest
of grapes and currants are all-encompassing, accompanied by the sound of
bees buzzing around the sheds where the currants are drying. Here you'll
rediscover some old Greek myths, learn that Nemean wine is called "Herakles
Blood" and that retsina is the teardrop of a certain wood nymph.
You'll find out about gods, nereids and mortals. Zeus and Apollo. You 'll
come upon columns, sanctuaries and ancient palaces.
Cutting through Corinthia
Just before the Isthmus, to the right, the road veers off to Loutraki, a
town built on the foothills of teh Gerania range on the soil of Central
Greece, yet still part of Corinthia prefecture. The cloudless sky is
reflected in the sea. You watch the carefree movements of the people on
the beach, swimming and tanning themselves in the summer sun. But
Loutraki also has hot springs, whose blessed waters gush from the earth
with healing properties. Beyond Loutraki, heading west, you come to lake
Vouliagmeni which is joined to the sea by a narrow channel. Near
Perahora peninsula, with its picturesque bay, you see the first ruins at
the back of the harbour - the Temples of Hera Akraia and Limenia. This
place gives one a foretaste of what to expect from the main sanctuary to
Hera in the Peloponnese. Returning to the main highway for Corinth, you
pass the Isthmus, - the avlaki or "courtyard" as we Greeks
call it - and head for one of the most important panhellenic shrines,
the sanctuary of Poseidon at Isthmia (7th c. B.C.), near the village of
Kiravrisi, where panhellenic games were held other year. Adjacent to the
archaeological site is a museum containing important finds. The
paintings on glass are most impressive. From here the road leads to
Kehries, the eastern port of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf. Ancient
foundations, most of which are submerged, were excavated at the
harbour's two quays. Traces of the temple of Isis and an early Christian
basilica constructed on top of the temple can be distinguished.
Immediately afterwards you reach Baths of Belle Helene (Loutro Elenis),
a resort area with lovely beaches and hot springs; the seaside village
of Almiri; and then Korfos, a hamlet built at the head of a small bay.
The region is thick with pine and olive trees. The coast and the little
ports in the vicinity are unforgetable. Hard for a visitor to leave
behind. Here one can find good food and a house to stay in, surrounded
by beauty.
Corinth yesterday and today
In the age of myth Corinthia was
always being thrown into turmoil by tribes pouring into the Peloponnese
from the Isthmus. With the setting of the Dorians (9th c. B.C.),
Corinth's history began. It beacame a great naval power and perfected
the trireme. The Corinthians were the first to have the idea of cutting
through the Isthmus but were unable to accomplish this feat. Instead
they invented and built a paved slipway, called the diolkos, to haul
their boats over the Isthmus. They were foremost in the arts,
particularly ceramics. The 5th century was their most glorious period.
But with the success of Athena as a powerful force, Corinth was eclipsed
and fell into decline. In 146 B.C. the Romans completely destroyed the
city. In 67 B.C. Nero tried his hand at digging through the Isthmus and
got as far as a big trench, but works were abandoned with his death, and
not until 1891 - 1893 did the canal finally become a reality. Invasions
and looting by barbarians threw Corinth into a new decline and the city
was not heard from again until the early Byzantine era. In 1521 a B
earthquake razed the city which rose again in about the 11th century. In
1212 the Franks took over, holding on until 1395 when the Byzantines
gained the advantage, only to sell the city to the Knights of Rhodes
five years later. Corinth, with the most of the rest of the Peloponnese,
fell to the Turks in 1458, became the property of the Knights of Malta
for a time (1612), passed to the Venetians in 1687 and was recaptured by
the Turks in 1715. They were ousted in 1822.
Today Corinth (Korinthos) ranks
among Greece's most important cities and is a major transportation hub.
The church of the Apostle Paul reminds us of the saint's Letters to the
Corinthians and his preaching here. Its long waterfront is one of the
most attractive spots in the city. Its numerous pastry shops,
restaurants, tavernas, bars, cinemas and nightclubs make Corinth lively
in both winter and summer. In September and October a theatre festival
is held here with troupes from all over the Balkans as well as a
panhellenic amateur theatre contest.
Ancient Corinth
The ruins of ancient Corinth are spread out at the foot of the huge rock
of Acrocorinth. The monuments are mainly Roman; only a few are Greek.
You can trace the Long Walls which began at the summit of Acrocorinth
and descended all the way to Lechaion (Leheo), the artificial harbour on
the Corinthian Gulf. Lechaion was the start of Lechaion road which led
to the ancient agora. This was paved with flagstones and lined with
sidewalks, arcades and shops. The are of the marketplace was filled with
imposing buildings, temples and business emporia. The Doric temple of
Apollo (6th c. B.C. with 1st c. A.D. restorations) stands on a knoll to
the north of the agora; it is the most important monument of that
period. To the northwest of the agora lie the ruins of the 4th century
B.C. theatre - which underwent some changes in the Roman era - and the
Roman Odeon. The museum is in the southwest sector of the site. It
contains mosaic floors, Mycenaean and Corinthian pottery, terra cotta
sphinxes, statues of two supernatural beings, relief plaques, the Roman
head of the Goddess Tyche and small objects of various kinds. On the
north side of the building one can see the remains of the fountain of
Glauke hewn out of the rock. Glauke, daughter of King Creon, was the
reason why Jason deserted Medea. In revenge Medea sent her as a wedding
gift a poisoned mantle which envelopped the girl in flames the moment
she put it on. In order to save herself she leapt into the fountain
which since then has borne her name.
Acrocorinth
The imposing mass of
Acrocorinth (Akrokorinthos) rises out of the ground at the edge of the
ancient city. At the top of the pinnacle, at an altitude of 575 metres,
stood the acropolis of Corinth during ancient and medieval times. This
is the largest and oldest fortress in the Peloponnese. The
Franco-Byzantine-Venetian fortifications (built atop the ancient walls)
and Turkish additions have left deep signs of their successive claims to
supremacy. At the summit, which offers a magnificent view, there were a
vast number of shrines and temples dominated by the Temple of Aphrodite.
Lower down is the Upper Peirene Spring. Pausanias mentions that Peirene
was a woman who was transformed into a spring by the tears she shed for
her son who had been killed by Artemis.
The mountains of Corinthia
From Acrocorinth the road continues on to Nemea. Here the soil is
yellow, dry, ideal for the cultivation of grapes. The whole district is
covered with vines. The neighbouring village of Herakleio is a silent
withness to the passing of the mighty Herakles. It was in this area that
the legendary hero slew the fearsome Lion of Nemea. There is not much
left of ancient Nemea: three columns from the temple of Zeus, a few
foundations, the outline of a palaestra and, 500 metres down road, the
stadium. It was here that the panhellenic Nemean Games were held, in
honour of some local hero. They took place every two years and the
victors' reward was a crown of wild celery. From Nemea the road leads to
Stimfalia, a mountain village in the region of Ziria. The lake no longer
harbours man-eating, iron-winged birds; they were destroyed by Herakles.
All that is left is the ruined temple of Artemis and the walls that
encircled the old city. In the region there is also a Frankish church
(13th c.) and ruins of a Frankish castle. At the foothills of Ziria (Mt.
Killini, where Pausanias had seen white blackbirds), between the
villages of Goura and Feneos, every year on the second Sunday of
September a big fair is held. The road proceeds to Kastania, a charming
mountain village (alt. 920 m.), surrounded by fir trees. It is one of
the most popular places in Corinthia for a winter holiday. One more
revelation amongst the pine - and fir-clad slopes of Ziria is the
village of Trikala (alt. 1,300 m.). The Ziria mountaineers' hostel lies
5 km. from here. Back in Nemea you come next to the pass of Dervenakia
where the "Old Man of the Morea", Kolokotronis, routed a
Turkish army. The road for Argos runs through it, while another road
leads to Hilliomodi, Klenia and Agionori, where there is a medieval
castle and a church with lovely frescoes.
Western Corinthia
Scattered along the National Road between Corinth and Patras are pretty
little villages looking onto the sea. Villages that promise a quiet
corner, a dish of good food savouring of the sea, a friendly word, a
swim, hot sand and unforgettable afternoons. You pass a chain of
villages - Perigiali, Assos, Vrahati, Kokoni, Velo - before reaching
Kiato, a town in the midst of a huge orchard. On the shore octopus, the
fisherman's favourite food, are hanging, drying in the sun. There are no
antiquities here, just sand and pebbles being tossed tirelessly by
gentle waves. You leave Kiato for a quick visit to the Hellenistic ruins
of Sicyon (Sikiona). Of the ancient city, the ruins of the agora, a
temple, the bouleuterion, theatre and stadium still stand. The Roman
baths, the most important monument, have been repaired and converted
into a museum where finds from the site are exhibited. Returning to the
coast road, the villages pass before your eyes in an endless procession.
Diminio, Melissi, Sikia, Xilokastro - any one of them a pleasant place
to break your journey. And all along the way, fruit trees, pines and
even palm trees rustle in the breeze. Kamari, Loutro, Likoporia, Derveni.
Bays and coves and lapping waves. Right in the middle of remembrance and
forgetfulness. Now you can sit in a taverna, under a grape arbour or in
the shade of some leafy tree, and enjoy the tasty cooking of Corinthia.
A charcoal grilled fish, wild greens, fried potatoes, cheese, olives,
wine under the scented, sun-drenched vines ... To your health.
How to get there
|
