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Altomira

COUNTY: Messinia MUNICIPALITY: West Mani

Clear
11.59ºC

Population

0 - 100

Distance from nearest city

10-35km

TL;DR

A mountainous village on a picturesque slope, some months uninhabited, with a stone-paved path crossing it and an exceptional church in the middle.

A mountainous village built amphitheatrically on an altitude of 813 metres on a picturesque slope. It is named after the thief or fugitive Altomoros who had hidden in the area.

The village has many old stone houses which are typical samples of the architecture of Mani. In 1999 the village was designated as a preserved settlement. Today it stands uninhabited, despite the last census numbering 90 residents. In reality, it is only inhabited during the winter, up to December, by breeders who return in spring. Through the village passes the stone-paved path called Biliovo, which leads from Kampos to Mistras, over a double arch stone bridge on Ridomo gorge.

The whole area used to be under the control of the Kapetanakides. The village's residents took part in the Battle of Verga against Ibrahim in 1826 displaying great heroism.

The church of Agios Athanasios, built in 1865 in the centre of the village, is considered exceptional, and near the village is the post-Byzantine monastery of Agios Georgios.