What Is Mytras?
Mystras also known as Mistras in the Chronicle of the Morea, is a reinforced town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. The town is situated on Mt. Taygetos, near the ancient Sparta. It served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotise of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries, which was a period of prosperity and cultural uplifting.
During the Ottoman period the site was inhabited as Western travellers mistook it for ancient Sparta. In the 1830s, it was abandoned again and about eight kilometres to the East the new town of Sparta was built. Since the 2011 it became part of the municipality of Sparta.
History
Matras was a fortress built in 1249 by William II of Villehardouin who ruled the Frankish Principality of Achaea. He captured the last Byzantine outpost on the Morea and followed this by completing the conquest of the peninsula when the tribes of this area submitted to him.
The Nicaeans defeated William of Villehardouin in 1259 and then recaptured Constantinople, restoring the Byzantine Empire. Mystras became the seat of the governor of the Byzantine territories in the Morea. This did not last long, and war broke out again between Byzantines and Franks. The Franks were slowly being pushed back and the insecurity caused with raids and counter raids made the inhabitants of Lacedaemon abandon their city and settle at the fortified Mystras.
From 1348 to 1460, Mystras was the residence of a Despot who ruled over the Byzantine Morea. This was known as the golden age of the city as it witnessed a remarkable cultural renaissance and attracted artists and architects of high quality. The frescos in the Peribleptos Monastery Church dating back to this time is clear evidence of this and crucial for the understanding of Byzantine art.
As the centre of Byzantine power, Mystras attracted inhabitants and institutions. The bishopric was transferred there from Sparta, with its cathedral, the Metropolis or church of Hagios Demetrios, built after 1264. Many monasteries were founded there, including those of the Brontochion and the monastery of Christos Zoodotes.
Mystras was also the last centre of Byzantine scholarship as philosophers like George Gemistos Plethon lived there until his death in 1452. He and other scholars of Mystras influenced the Italian Renaissance, especially after he accompanied the emperor John VIII Palaiologos to Florence in 1439.
Mystras was surrendered to the Ottoman emperor Mehmed II in 1460 and in turn the Venetians occupied it from 1687 to 1715 only to be reclaimed by the Ottomans until 1821. It was then abandoned for the newly rebuilt Sparta.
Archaeological Remains
Mystras was a living settlement from the 13th to 19th century when it was gradually deserted due to the formation of the new town of Sparta. It is retained its entirety as a fortified urban unit of the late-Byzantine period. The boundaries of the property include all the significant attributes.
Mystras is an example of a well-preserved fortified late-Byzantine city with elaborate spatial planning organization, and fortifications with the citadel on top of the hill and two fortified precincts at the lower level. The urban part of the city includes palaces, residences and mansions, churches, and monasteries, as well as constructions related to the city’s water supply and drainage and to commercial and market activities.
Mystras reached its zenith with the building of churches, outstanding examples of Late Byzantine church architecture, such as Hagioi Theodoroi (1290-1295), the Hodegetria (1310), the Hagia Sophia (1350-1365), the Peribleptos (14th century), the Evangelistria (early 15th century) and the Pantanassa (1430).
Its well-preserved monuments strongly demonstrate its importance as one of the most notable administrative and ecclesiastical centres of its era. Three of the most important religious monuments of Mystras, the Metropolis or church of Hagios Demetrios, Hodegetria and Pantanassa, occasionally maintain their religious use.
Interest For Today
Mystras has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989. It signifies a monumental late-Byzantine complex with distinct and well-preserved elements such as land-planning, street planning, secular and ecclesiastical architecture, and artistic production. Its authentic urban character, which has not been affected by human interventions, has been preserved through the centuries. The most important monuments on the site give the visitor the chance to understand various aspects of the Byzantine culture.
The Committee for the Restoration of the Monuments of Mystras, supervised by the Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs, has the responsibility to carry out restoration works on the monuments of Mystras and to promote the values of the property.
Momentous works have been carried out at the property including restoration work on the palaces and the residence of Laskaris. There is a display of the exhibits of the Museum of Mystras where selected items bear witness to the mutual relations between Mystras and Western Europe. They created a sculpture exhibition at the northern atrium and the semi-open space of the Museum. Paintings and sculptures in the churches have been restored. Research has been done on the architecture of the monuments and the spatial arrangement as well as conservation studies focusing on the mural, sculptural and floor decoration of the most important monuments of Mystras.
The heritage of Mystras is not only in architecture and painting but also in intellectual aspects. Distinguished intellectuals of Mystras, amongst them, Georgios Gemistos Plethon, the Neoplatonist philosopher, aroused the interest of the West for the interpretation of Platonic philosophy and the study of ancient Greek texts, and in such, contributed to the European Renaissance.
Matras includes information and educational events, musical and theatrical performances, exhibitions, educational programs, and publications. This is all aimed at promoting and presenting the property to the public.
Location
The Mystras archaeological site is in the Peloponnese in Greece, by the modern town of Mystras, approximately 8km west of Sparta and 55km east of Kalamata.
Coordinates: 37°4′N 22°23′E
Tourist Information
The archaeological site of Mystras is open from November to March, 8:30am-3pm.
Tickets in 2020 are €12 for adults and €6 for children. It has free admission on specific Greek holidays and for some visitor categories.
