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Pelion
Why Visit
Pelion is actually a large mountainous peninsula in central Greece. Dotted with traditional villages
and exotic beaches, Pelion Greece is a favorite family destination for all seasons of the year.
Makrinitsa, Portaria, Milies, Vizitsa and Tsagarada are among the most traditional villages, with
elegant houses and grey stone roofs. The high location of these villages gives nice view to the sea.
Along the coastline of Pelion Greece, there are lovely seaside places to enjoy summer holidays, such
as Agios Ioannis, Horefto, Platanias and Milina. Sightseeing is few there and includes mostly
traditional churches. Of great interest is the church of Taxiaxhes in Milies.
History - Architecture
According to the ancient Greek mythology, Mount Pelion took its name from the mythical king
Peleus, father of Achilles, and it was the homeland of Centaurs, the mythical creatures half-men and
half-horse. In fact, it was the centaur Chiron who became the tutor and guardian of Jason until he
grew up. Pelion is also the region where the Olympian gods had chosen for their summer holidays.
Just a few km from Volos is Sesklo, an area where many archaeological excavations took place. The
remains that were discovered there belong to a well-organized settlement. Walls, houses and tombs
from the 7th century BC and other remains from the middle and the modern Neolithic era. From
2,500 to 1,200 BC, there was a settlement where the town of Volos is located today. This settlement
was Iolcos, the homeland of Jason, and had an important port. Southwest, there was another
maritime town, Alos, close to the present-day town of Almyros. At the beginning of the historical
period, Iolcos started to decline. The port of Alos, important during the Persian wars, also lost its
importance in the 4th century BC. After Philip V of Macedonia, the port of Pyrasus became the
commercial centre of the region.
In 293 BC, king Demetrius Poliorcetes founded a new town, Demetriada. This town flourished in the
Roman times but it was just an unimportant provincial town during the Byzantine Empire.
All through the history of Pelion, it was constantly invaded by foreign nations, such as the Goths
(in 396 AD) and the Huns (in 539-540 AD). To protect the area, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian
fortified the towns of Thessaly. At the same time, the Byzantine Castle of Volos was constructed on
the ruins of the ancient town of Iolcos. In the Medieval times, Pelion also accepted pirate raids from
the sea, which is why many villages are constructed on hill slopes with view to the sea and
most mansions of Pelion had a fortifying architecture. After the occupation of Constantinople by the
crusaders in 1204, the Venetians occupied the region of Pelion. In 1393, Pelion went under the
Turkish occupation. During the years of the Greek Revolution, the famous clergyman and scholar
Anthimos Gazis tried to raise the national spirit of Pelion and lead it to independence.
Pelion declared its participation to the Greek Revolution under captain Kyriakos Basdekis, on the 7th
of May 1821. But the Turkish army stopped the evolutionary movement of Pelion in blood. A second
attempt of liberation was stopped again in March 1854. Pelion eventually won its independence in
1881, when the entire Thessaly was integrated to the Greek State.
Museums - Archeological
Pelion is a region with original character and interesting history. There are many folklore museums
to visit in the villages of Pelion that show the special ways of life in this region. Very interesting is
the Folklore Museum in Makrinitsa, housed in an elegant 19th century mansion. In the centre of
Milies, visitors can see the Municipal Library that also works as a museum. On the top floor, this
library houses many rare book from the 17th century, flags, portraits of important figures and
traditional costumes.
In Zagora, a village of eastern Pelion, there is the Greek Museum (Ellinomouseio). This name was
given to the old school where Rigas Valestinlis Fereos studied, an important figure of the
pre-revolutionary times in Greece. This building, also known as the School of Rigas, was also the
school of other famous heroic Greeks, like Anthimos Gazis, Grigoris Konstantas and Kallinikos
Lapatis. Near the school, visitors can find the famous library of Zagora which has more than 15,000
old books and manuscripts.
Beaches
Agios Ioannis, Mylopotamos, Papa Nero, Horefto, Fakistra, Damouchari, Mourtia, Platanias,
Potistika
Religious Monasteries and Churches
The entire town of Pelion is an inexhaustible treasure of religious monuments, legends and cultural
tradition, ideal for the nature and history lovers. Several churches and monasteries are spread
throughout the green villages and the picturesque settlements which are worth admiring for their
unique icons, architecture and the frescoes made by famous painters.
Among the worth seeing churches in Pelion is the church of Agia Marina located in Kissos village.
The beautiful basilica stands in the middle of the square, where architecture is in perfect harmony
with the surrounding beauty. The church hosts two small museums on both sides.
In the heart of the scenic village of Milies sits the church of Pamegistoi Taxiarchon. It was founded
in 1741 without a bell tower and its wonderful frescoes can be seen from the its entrance. It is
strongly connected with the Greek revolution. The church has great acoustics and in 2000 a choral
festival was held with ecclesiastical works of Johann Sebastian Bach.
East of Agios Lavrentios village, in one of the most enchanting areas rises the Monastery of Agios
Lavrentios. It was founded in the 14th century by a monk whose name the monastery carries. In
close distance you will find the churches of Agios Athanasios, Agiso Apostolos and Agios Dimitrios.
North of Fakistra beach, the jewel of Pelion lies the historical cave of Panagia Megalomata covered
with stalagmites. There is also found a picturesque chapel that is worth a visit. Under the old plane
trees, in the middle of Makrinitsa square lies the church of Agios Ioannis. Close by, in the shadow of
the huge rocks, sits the holy monastery of Agios Gerasimos.The monk, whose name the monastery
carries built his cell and lived there until his death in 1740. The monastic community decided to
build a church in his memory which later became a female monastery which is active to this day.
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