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The Mani

Murderous family feuds, fierce independence and fortress-like tower homes characterize this forgotten corner of Greece
1612travel

The tiny Greek islet of Cranai is thought to be the place where Helen of Sparta and Paris of Troy consummated the love affair that sparked the legendary Trojan Wars. In the adjacent town of Gythio, considered to be the port of ancient Sparta, crumbling stone houses clamber haphazardly up the hillside from the sea, lending an authentic, rough-around-the-edges sort of charm to a place that is clearly well acquainted with the tourist. Pleasingly situated restaurant patios flank the shoreline while colourful fishing boats bob idly in the harbour.

Besides being a place where legends were created, Gythio is also the gateway to that barren, desolate and forgotten region of southern Greece known as the Mani, where crumbling old tower houses dot the bristling landscape like mini, single family fortresses and the inhabitants were known for their murderous clan wars and fierce independence.

Throughout history, countless armies have marched through the nation we know today as Greece. Tucked away in the remote, wind-swept peninsula beneath the Taygetus and Sangias mountain ranges, the Maniots have stoutly resisted foreign domination for centuries. They defied the Byzantines and the Franks. And when the Ottomans were marching through Greece in the 15 th century, the Mani retained self government, bandits using the mountains as a stronghold from which to fight off the invaders. But when they were not banding together to fight for their autonomy, they were fighting each other. Tales of long and bloody family feuds have been woven through the fascinating history of this unique corner of Greece.

As is the case with many such places, tourism is bringing something of a revival to the Mani. In our compact little rental car we headed south from Gythio to Areopoli, the peninsula's second largest town as well as the place where the Greek War of Independence began in 1821. During this eight-year battle against the occupying Ottoman forces, the people of the Mani fought valiantly. Greece won her sovereignty in 1829.

We arrived, intent on discovering the soul of one of the nation's few wild and untrodden places. But first, we had to get through the touristy bit. Having your own transport is essential. Coaches deposit busloads of tourists at quaint little villages where one can sip lattes among fellow visitors on sunny patios among lovingly restored stone towers. On the outskirts, modern tower homes are under construction, being built in the fashion of the traditional architecture. Winding cobblestone laneways meander pleasingly around the blocky buildings and stone churches, enticing one to explore and perhaps get a little lost. Among the tourists, a wizened old woman may shuffle by, her long robes swishing quietly around her ankles. She lends an air of authenticity to the place but it still seems a little contrived. Surely there is more to the Mani than sipping lattes among tourists and newly constructed tower houses!

We returned to our car and ventured deeper into the peninsula seeking solitude and undiscovered corners. New construction and tourists quickly gave way to a scrubby and mountainous terrain, windswept and barren. Before long, lofty stone towers began to dot the landscape. In various stages of neglect, their tiny windows were tightly shuttered, many stonewalls quietly crumbling away. A feeling of abandonment hung in the air.

At the peninsula's weather beaten southern tip, the hillsides bristled with eerily deserted settlements; clusters of curious tiny fortresses stood sentinel, somberly gazing out to sea as they have for centuries. Some towns showed a few signs of life, indicating that a few hardy souls still inhabit this forgotten region. Dimly lit shops offered scant supplies and the odd local hung idly about the curbside. The only natural resources appeared to be an abundance of stone and a rollicking sea.

Following a long family history of revolts against the occupying Ottomans, Petros Mavromichalis, the last bey or chieftain of the Mani raised the war flag in Areopoli on March 17, 1821 marking the beginning of the Greek War of Independence. Emerging victorious in 1829, the Greeks became the first subjects of the dying Ottoman Empire to win their sovereignty.

Mavromichalis became a member of senate under the leadership of Ioannis Kapodistras, the first head of state of an independent Greece. The two men soon clashed, however. The new leader wanted to create an administration based on political appointees replacing the old system of family loyalties. When a compromise could not be reached, Kapodistras had Mavromichalis imprisoned.

Deeply offended, the Mavromichalis family took matters into their own hands, solving the dispute in a traditional manner. On the steps of Saint Spyridon in Nafplio in 1831, Mavromichalis's brother and son coldly murdered the first leader of independent Greece. Such was the character of the people of the Mani. Known for their fierce pride, long-standing vendettas and undying loyalty to their families, these were not a people to be trifled with!

All the old feuds having died out, the Mani peninsula is now dotted with eerily deserted settlements frozen in time, proud stone towers standing sentinel over an infertile land; an oversized mausoleum. Somber little ghost towns pepper the barren hillsides, quietly crumbling as the sea relentlessly pummels the rocky coastline. This is not the Greece of the history books and tourist brochures. This wild and remote southern peninsula feels forgotten and abandoned. The Mani has been left to its own devices, a living museum exhibit quietly displaying the proud and resilient nature of its people.