Gortynia

Gortynia is an area of the Arcadia Regional Unit in the northwestern Peloponnese, directly intertwined with Hellenism since ancient times, when Arcadian cities such as Gortys, Teuthis, Thelpoussa, Heraea, Methydrio and Theisoa developed and flourished on its territory.

A holy, historical and enchantingly wonderful place. Surrounded by unique natural beauty, forests, mountains, rivers and picturesque villages that illustrate history, Gortynia offers unique and unforgettable experiences to its visitors in all seasons of the year.

During the 7th and 8th centuries AD, Slavic tribes settled in the area, which either left it in 807 AD, the year in which they were defeated by the Byzantine army, or were assimilated by the local Greek element. After all, many of the Slavic toponyms of the region are due to them.
During the 10th century AD, Orthodox monasticism developed in Gortynia, the beginning of which is considered to be the year 963 AD, when Ioannis Lampardopoulos, chief secretary of the court of the emperor Nikephoros ΙΙ Phokas with the nickname “Philosopher”, founded the Old Monastery of the Philosopher, which was known in popular tradition as the “Krifo Scholio” (Secret School). Other monasteries were established since then, such as that of John the Baptist in the 12th century AD.
During the Frankish rule, the area, which was divided into two baronies, Akova and Karytaina, experienced a great economic and cultural flourishing at least until 1320, when the Gortynians, after several attempts, shook off the Frankish occupation. However, in 1461 the Ottoman Empire finally prevailed.
Due to the area’s inaccessible, mountainous terrain, during the Turkish occupation, large populations found refuge in Gortynia in order to avoid the intense presence of the Turkish authorities, while for this very reason several armed bodies of klephts and charioteers were able to operate at the same time.
In 1770, during the Orlov revolt, Gortynia suffered looting by the disorderly Albanian troops of the Ottoman Empire, while similar was the devastation suffered by its mountain villages from Ibrahim Pasha’s invasion of the Peloponnese in 1825.

During the period of the Turkish occupation, the internal settlement played a decisive role in the subsequent development of the region, as the Greeks sought refuge in the mountains. The lack of arable land led the inhabitants to animal husbandry and handicrafts. The specialists in gunpowder of Dimitsana, called “barouxides”, the builders of Lagkadia, the silversmiths of Stemnitsa and, in general, a multitude of craft activities developed in Gortynia and filled the gap in agriculture. Each of these sectors was to play a catalytic role in the Revolution of 1821.

Gortynia was a Province of the prefecture of Arcadia since the first administrative division made in 1833 by the government of Mavrokordatos, and remained almost unchanged until 1997, when the “Kapodistrias” plan was implemented. It took its current form as the municipality of Gortynia in 2011, after the division of the country into regions, in the context of the administrative reform of Greece with the “Kallikratis” plan. Its original name was “Province of Gortynos” and later “Province of Gortynia”, and the original area included some mountain villages that belonged to Arcadia from ancient times, but today belong to the Regional Unit of Achaia, such as Paos, Kleitor and Psofis.

It has an area of 1180 sq. km, its terrain is mountainous and it is crossed by the rivers Lousio, Alfeio, Ladona and other tributaries. Due to its topography, the area is barren and produces only a few grains, livestock and forest products.

After the implementation of the “Kallikratis” administrative division plan in 2010, 8 former municipalities created by the “Kapodistrias” plan (Gortynos, Dimitsanas, Trikolonon, Heraea, Tropaion, Kontovazaina, Kleitoros, Lagkaion and Vytina) were converted into Municipal Units and merged into one (Municipality of Gortynia), with the historic Dimitsana as its capital. Its most important transportation artery is the National Road Tripolis-Argos.

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Διαδρομες

Δημητσάνα - Μονή Ζωοδόχου Πηγής

Ιερά Μονή Ζωοδόχου Πηγής

Το γραφικό και ιστορικό χωριό της Δημητσάνας αποτελεί βασικό θεματοφύλακα ιστορικών και λαογραφικών παραδόσεων του ελληνικού γένους. Στη βιβλιοθήκη της, εκτός από τα εμπλουτισμένα με 35.000 τόμους βιβλίων ράφια.

Ιερά Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου

Χτισμένη στη βάση ενός απότομου κάθετου βράχου, περίπου 200 μέτρα από την όχθη του ποταμού Λούσιου, η Ιερά Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου, με την πλούσια ιστορία και προσφορά στον αγώνα των Ελλήνων για την απελευθέρωση, προκαλεί δέος σε κάθε επισκέπτη.

Ιερά Μονή Φιλοσόφου (Κρυφό Σχολειό)

Ιδρύθηκε το 963 μ.Χ. από τον αρχιγραμματέα του βυζαντινού Αυτοκράτορα Νικηφόρου Β’ Φωκά, τον Ιωάννη Λαμπαρδόπουλο, που της έδωσε και το προσωνύμιο “Φιλοσόφου”. Το 1691, η Μονή μεταφέρθηκε σε νέα τοποθεσία (Νέα Μονή) για ευκολότερη πρόσβαση.

Μονή Αιμυαλών - Ληνός Κολοκοτρωναίων

Ο ληνός είναι ένα παραδοσιακό αγροτικό κτίσμα που χρησίμευε σαν βοηθητικός εργαστηριακός χώρος ή σαν αποθήκη για τα σταφύλια και τον πρόχειρο βρασμό του μούστου.

Υπαίθριο Μουσείο Υδροκίνησης

Η νεροτριβή και ο αλευρόμυλος, το ρακοκάζανο, το βυρσοδεψείο και ο μπαρουτόμυλος, συνθέτουν τα κομμάτια ενός ολοκληρωμένου “παζλ” παράδοσης, το οποίο φιλοξενείται στο Υπαίθριο Μουσείο Υδροκίνησης.

Δημόσια Ιστορική Βιβλιοθήκη Δημητσάνας

Οικία Παλαιών Πατρών Γερμανού

Η οικογένεια του Παλαιών Πατρών Γερμανού εγκαταστάθηκε στη Δημητσάνα περίπου το 1720 και, σύμφωνα με πληροφορίες, διέμενε στην εν λόγω οικία μέχρι και το 1897.

Υπαίθριο Μουσείο Υδροκίνησης

Ιερά Μονή Αιμυαλών – Ληνός Κολοκοτρωναίων

Ιερά Μονή Ζωοδόχου Πηγής Στεμνίτσας

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Δημητσάνα - Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου

Αρχοντικό των Δεληγιανναίων

Το οίκημα δεσπόζει στον Πάνω Μαχαλά του ιστορικού χωριού Λαγκάδια, το οποίο, εκτός από σημαντικούς χτίστες, χάρισε στην Ελλάδα την περίφημη οικογένεια των Δεληγιανναίων, προεστών του Μοριά πριν από την Επανάσταση. Από την οικογένεια Δεληγιάννη προήλθαν και δύο Πρωθυπουργοί στα χρόνια μετά την απελευθέρωση.

Αγιονέρι

Σύμφωνα με όσα αναφέρουν οι γραφές ιστορικών της Επανάστασης, στις 20 Μαρτίου του 1821, στην περιοχή “Αλώνι του Καλλιντέρη” στο Αγιονέρι Γορτυνίας, οι Γεώργιος και Δημήτριος Πλαπούτας κήρυξαν τον απελευθερωτικό αγώνα ενάντια στον Οθωμανικό ζυγό.

Ιστορικός Πύργος Πλαπούτα

Ο ιστορικός Πύργος του Στρατηγού Πλαπούτα που έπαιξε σημαίνοντα και καθοριστικό ρόλο στην Επανάσταση του 1821 δεσπόζει αναστηλωμένος στο χωριό Παλούμπα, τη γενέτειρα του Δημήτριου Πλαπούτα

Ληνός των Κολοκοτρωναίων

Ιερά Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου Στεμνίτσας

Οικία Παλαιών Πατρών Γερμανού

Δημόσια Ιστορική Βιβλιοθήκη Δημητσάνας

Υπαίθριο Μουσείο Υδροκίνησης

Ληνός των Κολοκοτρωναίων

Ιερά Μονή Τιμίου Προδρόμου Στεμνίτσας

Dimitsana - Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi

Holy Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi

Built only ten years after the fall of Constantinople, the Holy Monastery of Zoodochos Pigi or Chrysopigi kept alive the flame of liberation during the difficult years when Greece was under Ottoman occupation.

Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist

Built at the base of a steep vertical rock, about 200 meters from the bank of the Lousios river, the Holy Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, with its rich history and contribution to the struggle of the Greeks for liberation, inspires awe in every visitor.

Holy Monastery of the Philosopher (Krifo Scholio)

It was founded in 963 AD by the chief secretary of the Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas, Ioannis Lampardopoulos, who also gave the name "Philosopher" to the Monastery. In 1691, the Monastery was relocated (New Monastery) for easier access.

Aimyalon Monastery-Linos of the Kolokotronis family

A linos is a traditional agricultural building that served as wine press for the grapes and the rough boiling of the must.

Open-Air Waterpower Museum

The fulling mill and the flour mill, the still, the tannery and the gunpowder mill compose the pieces of a complete "puzzle" of tradition, which is housed in the Open-Air Waterpower Museum.

Dimitsana Historic Public Library

The picturesque and historical village of Dimitsana is a key depository of historical and folklore traditions of the Greek nation. In its library, apart from the shelves enriched with 35,000 volumes of books, the visitor can also admire important relics and memorabilia from various moments of the glorious past.

House of Germanos III of Old Patras

The family of Germanos III of Old Patras settled in Dimitsana around 1720 and resided in this house until 1897. Today, in the renovated building there are exhibits that are family heirlooms of the great hierarch, as well as excerpts from his autobiography.

Dimitsana - Monastery of Saint John the Baptist