Pylos, historically known in the past also with the
Venetian-Italian name as Navarino or Navarino, is a seaside town,
which is administratively under the Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros
and is located in the west of the Prefecture of Messinia, while
until 2010, it was the seat of the municipality of the same name.
It is known for its rich ancient, medieval and modern history.
It should be noted, however, that the first and oldest city of
Pylos, Ancient Pylos, is not geographically identified with the
current town, although the latter is both the honorary and the
essential residential continuation of the former. Also, as far as
ancient Pylos is concerned, it is identified, only partially, with
various archaeological remains of palaces and other administrative
and residential infrastructures in various other neighboring
archaeological sites in the wider area of Pylia, but remains
essentially unidentified, on the whole, according to the oldest and
the modern experts-researchers. A typical reference point of the
Mycenaean period of the ancient city is the Palace of Nestor, but
also other palaces, such as those that have been discovered and
excavated in nearby Iklaina.
Pylos is today the seat of the
Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros, which belongs to the Regional Unit
of Messinia, which was established in 2011 with the Kallikratis
Project. In the last population census carried out in 2011, the
Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros had a population of 21,077
inhabitants, the Municipal Unit of Pylos 5,287 inhabitants, the
Municipal Community of Pylos 2,767 inhabitants, while Pylos had
2,345 inhabitants and was the sixth most populous city of the
Regional Unit of Messinia , after the capital Kalamata (54,100),
Messina (6,065), Filiatra (5,969), Kyparissia (5,131) and Chora
(3,454).
The modern town of Pylos is located in the
southwestern part of the Peloponnese, next to the shores of the
Ionian. The port of Pylos is also an important shipping center of
the western area of Messinia with an upward commercial and
passenger/tourist development. Due to the narrow shape of the island
of Sphaktiria which "closes" the Bay of Navarino, also known as the
Bay of Pylos, and which acts as a natural breakwater, the Bay of
Navarino and the port of Pylos is considered one of the safest
anchorages in Mediterranean.
Pylos has many attractions next to it or in other nearby areas of the
Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros, centered on it. With historical sites,
such as Nestor's palace near Chora and the palaces in Iklaina, its
castles (Paleokastro & Neokastro), its old aqueduct, the islets of
Chihli-baba or Fanari and Helonisi or Helonaki with the monuments to the
French and English fallen from Navarino Battle, the nearby beaches, such
as Voidokoilia, Gialova and the habitat of Gialova.
Paleokastro
of Navarino
The Frankish Palaiokastro, or Paleo Navarino or Coryphasi
Castle, the first and oldest castle of Navarino. It is located in the
north-east of the gulf of Pylos, north of the island of Sfaktiria. It
was built in the 13th century, most likely by the crusader lord of
Thebes Nicholas II de Saint Omer or Santameris or Geronikolas and less
likely by his nephew. In the 14th century the castle passed into the
hands of the Genoese, who used it as a base for military activities
against the Venetians. The latter, alarmed by the Genoese threat to
their commercial interests, attempted to purchase the castle several
times. In 1423 they managed to buy it from the Prince of Achaia
Centurione II Zaccaria, during the second Venetian-Turkish war, however,
the castle passed into the hands of the Ottomans. After their successive
victories, the Ottomans built the new castle (Niokastro), which served
them more geographically, leaving Paleokastro with a rudimentary
garrison. After the sixth Venetian-Turkish war, in 1686 the castle again
passed into the hands of the Venetians, while with the next
Venetian-Turkish war it was again occupied by the Ottomans. After the
withdrawal of the Ottomans from the Greek lands, in 1828, the castle was
abandoned. The view that Palaiokastro offers towards the Ionian Sea and
the exceptionally beautiful bay of Voidokolia, which is located to its
north and the Lagoon of Gialova, which is located to its east, is truly
enchanting. However, access to this reason for its ruin, is accompanied
by strong and repeated warnings regarding the safety of visitors, as it
may hide dangers.
Niokastro Navarino
The Ottoman Neokastro
Navarinou or Niokastro or Neo Navarino, is the second and newest castle
of Navarinou, which is located in the southwest of the bay of Pylos,
near the entrance of the port of Pylos. It is an impressive fortress on
the south-west shore of Navarino bay and its main purpose was to control
the southern entrance of Navarino bay, since the north-west side, which
is called Steno tis Sykia or Faltsa Bouka and the port of Palaiokastro
there, was unusable due to later alluvium. It is in better condition
than Paleokastro and has an excellent view of the island of Sphakteria,
the bay, the harbor and the town of Pylos. It is still one of the most
beautiful and well-preserved castles in Greece.
Niokastro began
to be built, by the Ottomans, after 1573, after their defeat in the
Naval Battle of Nafpaktos two years before (1571) and is divided into
two parts, Kato Kastro, which is also the largest part, with an area of
approximately 80 acres, and the Upper Castle, which includes strong
ramparts and bastions. It was named so to distinguish it from
Palaiokastro or Palaio Navarino, which was a creation of the Franks and
dominated the old port. Various conquerors attacked Niokastro from time
to time, Venetians, Turks, Russians. The Ottomans kept it under their
rule until 1686, then it was occupied by the Venetians under General
Morosini, until 1715 when it was reoccupied by the Turks. For a short
time it was occupied by the Greeks during the Revolution of 1821, but
they did not manage to hold it for long. In 1826 it was occupied by
Ibrahim Pasha with his army, while in 1828 it was finally liberated by
the French general Maizon. It was then abandoned, only to be used again
during World War II by the Germans and Italians, who turned it into a
base for their operations. After the end of the war it was used for a
short time as a prison, until it was handed over to the Archaeological
Service. His successive conquests led to various changes, additions and
general interventions in his premises. The fortress today consists of
the hexagonal acropolis and its rampart - which was created during the
Venetian occupation and offers an excellent view of the islet of
Sfaktiria -, fortified enclosure, four cylindrical towers and two
bastions, the western bastion, which is called " Seventh" is a little
earlier than the rest of the fortification and controls the entrance of
the bay and the northern rampart, which is called "Jafer Pasha" or
"Santa Maura" and controls the port of Pylos. Few of the buildings
within the walls survive intact. One of them is the Gothic Church of the
Transfiguration of the Saviour, which was built by the Franks, later
converted into a mosque and again became a Christian church. Also
important is the building of general Maizonos, which currently houses
offices, while within a short period of time it will also house the
Archaeological Museum of Pylos. So little by little, Niokastro is
developing into a cultural multi-site, of special importance for the
history of the region.
The aqueduct of Pylos
During the
Ottoman period of the area of Pylos, in the 16th century, in the place
"Old Water", i.e. the location of the current village of Paleoneros, the
starting point of the oldest water transport system, i.e. the first part
of the aqueduct of Pylos, which was built for covering the water supply
needs of Niokastro. The aqueduct of Pylos consisted of two individual
smaller systems which were united. The first and oldest system started
from Palaionero, south-east of Niokastro, and the water was transported
in a clay pipe, while the second system, which was built later, carried
the water from the "Koumbe" springs, about 15 kilometers north-east of
the castle (near the village of Chandrinos), inside a built channel and
ended near Pylos at the place "Kamares". Then, through an underground
interconnection of the aqueduct, the sources that existed within
Niokastro were fed. It remained in ruins until 1828, and was repaired in
1832 by the French engineers of the Morea expedition. After its
maintenance, it was used for the water supply of Pylos until 1907.
Palace of Nestor
North of Pylos (17 km) and south of Chora (4
km), is the hill of Ano Egliano which houses the Mycenaean Bronze Age
palace known as the "Palace of Nestor" (1600–1200 BC), discovered by in
1939 the American archaeologist Carl Blegen together with the Greek
archaeologist Konstantinos Kourouniotis. This palace remains today in
Greece the best preserved palace and one of the most important palaces
of the Mycenaean civilization. The ruins of the palace consist of the
Megaro (main hall) or "Throne Room" with its circular Hearth, a
vestibule, corridors, large storerooms, the outer walls of the palace,
unique baths, galleries, etc. 90 meters away from the palace, there is a
beehive vaulted tomb renovated in 1957 (Vaulted Tomb IV). Very recently,
in 2015, the team of American archaeologists Sharon Stocker and Jack L.
Davis of the University of Cincinnati discovered, near the palace, the
Tomb of the "Vulture Warrior" and even more recently in 2017, two other
vaulted tombs (Vaulted Tombs VI and VII), all three with exciting new
finds (such as gold rings, the battle agate of Pylos or a gold medallion
depicting the head of the Egyptian Goddess Athor, indicating that Pylos
had commercial relations, previously unknown, with Egypt and the Middle
East around 1500 BC). In June 2016, the archaeological site of Nestor's
Palace reopened to the public after 3 years of work to replace the old
1960s roof with a modern structure (with elevated walkways for
visitors). The archaeological site of the Palace of Nestor can be
visited every day, except Tuesdays and public holidays.
Archaeological Museum of Chora
The archaeological museum is located
in the center of Chora, 4 kilometers north of the Palace of Nestor. The
museum was built in 1969 to house the artifacts discovered in Nestor's
Palace and the rest of the area. However, some of them are currently in
the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, in the first room
dedicated to the Mycenaean culture. The Museum of the Country has three
rooms. The first room contains finds almost exclusively from the tombs
of the area: collections of ceramics, bronzes and other sculptures,
weapons and jewelry. The second room contains finds from the area of Ano
Egliano and Nestor's Palace. In addition to large storage jars and other
ceramics from the palace storerooms, there are some wall frescoes, such
as one depicting a lyre player with a bird, as well as battle and
hunting scenes. In the last room, other discoveries from the hill of Ano
Egliano and the Palace of Nestor are exhibited, and in particular, a
part of the contents of the tombs of this area, such as giant vases,
cups and jewelry and the clay tablets with inscriptions written in
Linear B. The Archaeological Museum of Chora can be visited every day,
except Tuesdays and public holidays.
In Chora, the tomb of "Grypa
Polemistis" has also been discovered, dating back to 1500 BC, with many
impressive finds.
Beaches
At a short distance from the town of
Pylos, there are well-known beaches, such as the Beach of Gialova and,
next to it, the Beach of the Golden Coast (Divari), as well as the Beach
of Voidokoilia.
Flora and fauna
The soil of the area of Pylos is usually red in
color and is known for the production of the Agiovasilitsa plant
(official names: Urginia the sea, Urginea maritima and Drimia maritima),
which is generally used in traditional customs and medicine. The rocks
which are interposed in every direction between the different parts of
the rich soil, are mainly of limestone rocks and cause the reduced plant
productivity, mainly around Paleokastro and Sfakteria. The absence of
trees there is made up for by the abundance of sagebrush and various
shrubs that grow in the hollows of the limestone. Also in nearby
Gialova, its Lagoon is home to a variety of rare species of animals and
birds, which are on the verge of extinction, from all over Europe, such
as the African chameleon. The observatory of the Hellenic Ornithological
Society allows visitors to discover more and observe the shallow
brackish waters of the lagoon and walk along routes and paths that
describe the different ecosystems of Gialova.
Gialova lagoon
The Lagoon of Gialova, between Gialova and the bay of Voidokoilia, is a
blessing of nature for the region and is one of the 10 largest lagoons
in Greece. It has also been characterized as one of the most important
bird-parking areas in Europe, as it has a depth, at its deepest point,
of no more than four meters and is the southernmost stopover for
migratory birds, which migrate from the Balkans to Africa, offering
refuge to about 225 species of birds, including herons, cormorants,
gulls, kestrels, flamingos, ospreys and golden eagles.
Natura
2000 protected area
The area of the Gialova Lagoon, as it stands out
for its fauna and flora, has been designated as a Special Protection
Zone of the pan-European network for the protection of species and their
habitats, with the Natura program.
The Municipal Stadium of Pylos, which is located in the southeast of
the town, at the height of the Pylos Gymnasium-Lyceum, is also home to
the Pylos Sports Club "O Tsiklitiras", which has football sections, etc.
sports, which participate in various local categories. The Municipal
Stadium of Pylos has lighting, natural turf, modern changing rooms and
bleachers with a capacity of 600 people.
The "Navarinia"
Since
2017, the "Navarineia" have been organized every year around October 20,
in honor of the anniversary of the historic Naval Battle of Navarino
(October 20, 1827), by the municipality of Pylos-Nestor and the many
volunteers of the local organization association.
The event takes
place over a period of several days, but the celebrations culminate on
the anniversary of the battle in Pylos Harbor with the participation of
the Hellenic Navy as well as diplomatic and military representatives of
the three allied countries. Frigates of the Greek, British, French and
Russian navies, as well as many historic sailing ships participate in an
impressive nighttime reenactment of the famous battle with sounds and
lighting effects (sound & light show). The evening usually ends with the
burning of a reconstructed ship and a spectacular fireworks display in
the harbor.
The celebrations are also accompanied in the previous
days by various cultural events taking place simultaneously in other
parts of the city (honorary ceremonies dedicated to the memory of the
fallen at the various monuments of Pylos and the region, national and
international conferences, parades in the streets of Pylos, traditional
music and dance performances etc.). Although organized at the end of the
tourist season, these celebrations attract a large number of spectators.
The 2019 celebration events were attended by more than 10,000 visitors,
while the ceremonial events were honored with the presence of the
President of the Hellenic Republic. In 2020, Navarinia was awarded the
Gold Tourism Award 2020 in the Cultural Tourism category.
Pylos is best reached by car or bus. Kalamata is about an hour (50
KM) away to the east, Methoni is 15 kilometers to the south and
Kirparissia is 65 kilometers to the north.
The bus stop is in the
central square next to the harbor at the Shell gas station. There are
bus connections to Kalamata, Kirparissia, Chora (Palace of Nestor),
Methoni and Athens. The departure times are posted.
Pylos is located approximately 274 kilometers southwest of Athens (very easy to access now), 211 kilometers south of Patras, 118 kilometers southwest of Tripoli and approximately 55.5 kilometers southwest of Kalamata. It has an altitude of 0-14 meters and is located on the shores of the Ionian Sea. Near Pylos are the towns of Kyparissia, Filiatra, Gargaliani and Chora, to its north, at distances of approximately 52, 36, 25 and 22.5 kilometers respectively, while to its south and southeast are the towns of Methoni and Koroni, at distances of approximately 11 and 40 kilometers respectively. At close distances are Kynigos, Mesochori and Pidasos to its southeast at distances of approximately 6.5, 7.5 and 8.5 kilometers respectively, to its south Kainourgio Chorio at a distance of approximately 6.5 kilometers, to its northeast Pyla and Iklaina at distances of approximately 8 and 17 kilometers, to its north Gialova and Korifassio at distances of approximately 7.5 and 15 kilometers and to its northwest Petrohori, Romanos and Tragana at distances of 15 ,5, 15 and 16 kilometers respectively.
According to mythology, the first and oldest city of Pylos was
founded in southwestern Ancient Messinia by the mythical hero named
Pylos or Pyla. Pylos, according to a first version, which refers to the
work "Library of Apollodorus" (formerly attributed to Apollodorus, while
today it is attributed to an unknown author referred to as
Pseudo-Apollodorus) was the son of the god Ares and Demonike, daughter
of Agenor and of Epicaste, granddaughter of Antinor and sister of
Porthaon. Demoniki and Ares were the parents of Evinos, Pylos, Thestius
and Molos. According to another version, which is mentioned by
Pausanias, in his work "Ellados periegisis - Messeniaka" (book 4, verses
36.1-36.2) the named founder is identified with Pyla, who was king of
the Megara, son of Klion and grandson of Lelegas. Pylantas went to the
Peloponnese at the head of a group of Lelegons and founded the first
city of the same name, also known as Pylos of Messinia, and when Nileas
later expelled him from it, Pylantas fled to Elis, where he also founded
the second city of the same name, also known as Pylos of Elis. Pylia was
Pylias' daughter.
Pausanias also mentions that the city was also
called Koryphasion, from the Cape Koryphasion (ἄkra Koryphasion), on
which it was built. Nearby there was also the temple of Coryphasia
Athena (formerly Coryphasio of Messinia). The ancient Spartans,
according to Thucydides, also referred to her as Coryphasion.
In honor of Nestor's father Nileas, the city was also referred to as "Nilion". Nileas was the son of Tire and the god Poseidon, twin brother of Pelias and half-brother of Aeson (son of Criteus and Tyre), Pheritas and Amythaon. Nileas and Pelias fought over the kingship of Iolkos. Pelias expelled Nileas, as well as Aeson, and became king in Iolkos in Thessaly, while Nileas fled to Messinia, where according to one version he was the one who founded Pylos. There he took as his wife Chlorida, daughter of Amphion and together they had a daughter, Piro, and many sons, including Taurus, Asterios, Pylaon, Deimachus, Eurybius, Periclemenus, the later wise king Nestor, etc. . The end of Niles came when Heracles campaigned against him on the grounds that Niles refused to cleanse him of the murder of Iphitus. Then Nileas was killed with 11 of his sons or, according to another tradition, he was rescued and died of some disease in Corinth where he had taken refuge, whereupon he was buried there. The descendants of Niles were called Nileids. The Nileids, driven out by the Heraklides, scattered to various places, in some of which they reigned. Chronologically they are classified at the end of the 12th century. BC, since their movement from Pylos to Athens dates back to 1104 BC.
Pylos retained its ancient name in the early Byzantine years, but it
appears, probably after the 6th century, when it was occupied by the
Avars, as well as its conquest by the Franks, in the 13th century, under
two names, as "Zoglos" and as Avarino (Navarino or Navarino).
Pylos & Zoglos (Port-de-Jonc or Port-de-Junch)
The name, as "Zoglos",
is derived from the French name "Port-de-Jonc" ("Rush Harbour") or
"Port-de-Junch", with some variations and derivatives: In Italian as
"Porto-Junco" or "Zunchio" or "Zonchio", in Medieval Catalan as "Jonc",
in Latin Iuncum "Zonglon" or "Zonglos", and in Greek as "Zoggon" or
"Zoggos", "Zoglon" or "Zoglos", etc. This name probably came from the
marshes and vegetation that surrounded the place.
The name Avarinos or Avarino or Avarinos, according to one version,
arose after the occupation of the city by the Avars, in the 6th century.
It was later shortened to Varinos or lengthened to Anavarinos with an
infix, which evolved into Navarino or Navarino in Italian (probably with
rearrangement) and Navarin in French. The etymology of the word,
however, is not certain. Another version considers that the name
Navarino comes from the combination of the words (new+Avarinos or
naus+Avarinos). However, with the same name, the entire bay of Pylias
with the surrounding fortresses was defined, in contrast to the islands
of Proti and Sapienza, from which it is equidistant. Another etymology,
based on evidence of tradition, proposed by the traveler Nompar de
Caumont in the early 15th century and later repeated in the works of the
German historian Karl Hopf (Karl Hopf, 1832–1873), attributes the name
Navarino to the military mercenary Society of the Navarrese, which
operated in the 14th century also in the Morea, but this is clearly
wrong, as the name was used long before their presence in Greece. In
1830 the Austrian traveller, politician and historian Jakob Philipp
Fallmerayer (1790–1861) suggested that the name could be derived from
the name of the Avars who settled there, a view adopted by some later
scholars such as the British historian William Miller (William Miller,
1864–1945). However, the assessment of modern researchers, on the other
hand, considers it more likely that the name is of Slavic origin and
means "place of maples" or the "place with maples".
The name
Avarinos - Navarino (Avarinos/Navarino), although it was used before the
Frankish rule, came into widespread use and soon surpassed the name
Port-de-Jonc and its derivatives, only after the 15th century, that is,
after the collapse of the Frankish Principality of Achaia (1205–1432).
In the late 14th or early 15th century, when the area was controlled by the Company of Navarre, it was also known as Château Navarres and was called by the local Greeks as Spanochori, i.e. village of the Spaniards. During the periods of Ottoman occupation (1498-1685 and 1715-1821), the Turkish name was Anavarin (Anavarin [o]).
After the construction, in 1571/2, of the new Ottoman fortress
(Anavarin kalesi), on the site of today's Pylos, in the southwest of the
gulf, the new fortress/castle became known as Neokastron (Neo Kastro or
Niokastro, "new castle") , while the old Frankish castle in the
northwest of the bay became known, referred to in contrast, as
Paleokastron (Paliokastro or Paliokastro, "old castle"). With the
subsequent development of the settlement outside the walls of Neokastro,
the settlement that also bore the name Neokastron, was the one that
evolved into the present town.
Neokastron was restored by the
French general Maison. It is worth walking around, to see the Church of
the Transfiguration of the Saviour, the René Piot collection with relics
of the revolution of 1821 and its citadel, where the Center for
Underwater Archeology is located.
Pylos has a long history, which goes hand in hand with that of the Peloponnese. Its beginnings are lost in the depths of prehistory, having been inhabited since the Neolithic era, when populations from Anatolia began to spread to the Balkans and Greece around 6,500 BC, bringing with them the practice of agriculture and animal husbandry. Excavations have shown a continuous human presence since the late Neolithic era (5,300 BC) in various parts of Pylia, including notably those of Voidokoilia and Nestor's cave, where many characteristic sherds or pottery fragments have been found. At the beginning of the Late Neolithic, dark colored, painted and black glazed pottery was in use, while during the Late Neolithic period incised and written pottery was used. The Neolithic period ended with the appearance of coppersmithing, around 3,000 BC.
According to Greek mythology, Ancient Pylos was founded by the
eponymous hero Pylos or King Niles and was originally called
Koryphasion, from the Cape Koryphasion, on which it was built. Ancient
Pylos was the capital of the Mycenaean kingdom of Pylos, also known as
the Kingdom of Nestor, which was an important center at that time,
according to Homer's reference in the "Odyssey" (Rhapsody Rhapsody R,
verses 107-114) .
The Mycenaean state of Pylos (between 1600–1100
BC) covered an area of 2,000 square kilometers and had a population of
between 50,000, according to Linear B tablets, and 80,000–120,000
inhabitants.
In the area of Pylos, remarkable archaeological
treasures have been discovered. Initially, stone walls, pieces of
frescoes, floors, Mycenaean vases, clay inscriptions came to light.
These first excavations were carried out in 1912-26 and in 1939 by the
American archaeologist Carl William Blegen (1887–1971) and the Greek
archaeologist Konstantinos Kourouniotis (1872–1945). They were
interrupted during the Second World War and resumed in 1952 by the Greek
archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos (1901–1974). These investigations led
to the emergence of the first of a series of palaces of the Bronze Age
kingdom of Ancient Pylos. This is the Palace of Nestor in the area of
modern Ano Egliano, at a distance of about 9 kilometers northeast of
Pylos Bay. Blegen was the one who first gave, according to the Homeric
epics, the name to the ruins of this great Mycenaean palace, which dates
back to around 1300 and 1200 BC. The central building (50 x 32 m.)
included the king's palace and the queen's palace, while there are other
buildings. Various other auxiliary spaces, tombs and an altar, were
discovered in the area. On December 31, 1957, a beehive tomb was
discovered, the chosen one of Nileos, by his father Nestor, mythical
king of Pylos. A 3,000-year-old wing of the palace was also discovered.
In 1962, a number of finds were found in the area of Peristeria Pylos.
In addition to the archaeological remains of the palace, Blegen also
found thousands of clay tablets with inscriptions written in Linear B, a
syllabary of ideograms used between 1425 and 1200 BC. for the writing of
the Mycenaean language. The largest source of these tablets in Greece
was found at Pylos with 1,087 fragments discovered at the site of
Nestor's palace. In 1952, when self-taught linguist Michael Ventris and
classical philologist John Chadwick deciphered the syllabary, the
Mycenaean language proved to be the first confirmed form of Greek. Some
of its elements have survived in the language of Homer thanks to the
long oral tradition of epic poetry. Thus, these clay tablets, generally
used for administrative purposes or to record financial transactions,
clearly show that the place itself was called "Pylos" and written as
(pu-ro, 𐀢𐀫 Mycenaean Greek) by its inhabitants.
In nearby
areas, such as in the area of Voidokoilia, Tragana, Iklaina, Nichoria,
Malthis, but also in other archaeological sites in the area of Pylia,
many more elements/remains of this period of Ancient Pylos have since
been found. Also the remains of a fort/fortress made of rough stone were
found on the nearby island of Sphakteria, also of Mycenaean origin,
which was used by the Spartans during the Peloponnesian War.
Pylos was the only palace of the Mycenaean era that did not have walls
or fortifications. It was destroyed by fire around 1180 BC. and many
clay tablets of Linear B bear clear fire marks. The records of Line B
found there, preserved by the heat of the fire that destroyed the
palace, mention hasty defensive preparations due to an imminent attack,
but give no details of the attacking force. The site of Mycenaean Pylos
appears to have been abandoned during the Dark Ages (1100-800 BC). The
area of Pylos, together with that of ancient Messina, was later enslaved
by Sparta.
According to Thucydides, in his work "History of the Peloponnesian War", in the 5th century BC, Pylos was "together with the greater part of the country, without population". The ancient city was not in modern Pylos, but north of the island of Sphakteria, at a distance of 400 stadia from ancient Sparta. Also according to Pausanias the city of Pylos was a little more than 100 stadia from the ancient Mothoni (see Methoni). In classical antiquity the height of Coryphasi and the wider area of Homeric Pylos which was uninhabited and its area was almost continuously under the rule of Sparta with the exception of the period 425-421 BC. during which, according to Thucydides (book IV), it was fortified by the Athenians and became an advanced Athenian fort during the Peloponnesian War. In 425 BC the Athenian statesman Cleon sent an expeditionary force to Pylos where the Athenians fortified the rocky promontory now known as "Koryphasion" or "Old Pylos" at the northwestern end of the gulf, near the Gialova Lagoon, and after a victorious conflict with the Spartan ships in the Naval Battle of Pylos, controlled the area and the bay of Pylos. A little later, the Athenians also defeated the Lacedaemonian troops, who had fortified themselves on the adjacent island of Sphaktiria, in what is also known as the Battle of Pylos and Sphaktiria. The Spartans' anxiety over the return of their captured soldiers, who were taken as hostages to Athens, contributed to the acceptance of the treaty of 421 BC, which is also known as the Nicene Peace. After the liberation of Messinia from Spartan rule and the re-establishment of Pylos in the 4th century BC. the hill of Koryphasi formed the citadel of the re-founded city.
Little is known during the Byzantine era about Pylos, which retained its ancient name, apart from the mention of raids on the area by the Avars in the 6th century and the Saracens from the Emirate of Crete around 872/3. In the later Byzantine years and at the beginning of the Frankish and 1st Venetian periods, the region and the city were already referred to as "Zoglos".
In the 12th century, the Arab geographer Muhammad al-Idrisi, from
Ceuta, mentioned the port of old Navarino as the "spacious harbor of
Irūda", in his work Nuzhat al-Mushtaq. After the 4th Crusade and the
first overthrow of the Byzantine Empire, in 1204, during the First
Venetian and Frankish occupations, Moria became a possession of the
Venetians and the Franks. It is now a crusader state and controlled by
the Principality of Achaia (1205-1432). Pylos, now also referred to as
Navarino, was quickly captured by the Crusaders, according to a brief
mention in the "Chronicle of the Moreos", but is not mentioned again
until 1280. The Venetians respectively claimed the ports of Methoni and
Koroni for themselves. Their sovereignty over the two cities of Messinia
was ratified in 1209 by signing an agreement with the ruler of the
Peloponnese at the time, Godefroid Villeardouinos. The Venetians
fortified Methoni and turned it into an important commercial center. Its
area experienced considerable prosperity and was an important
intermediate station between Venice and the Holy Land. Towards the
beginning of the end of the period of the Byzantine Empire, at the end
of the 13th century, and specifically in 1278, the Frankish coastal
castle of Paleokastro Navarino was built by the Franks led by the
Flemish crusader Nicholas II Saintomer, prince of the Principality of
Achaia on the ruins of the ancient and Byzantine fortification.
Gradually the castle and its surrounding area acquires the character of
a Castle State. It is pointed out that in the period of the Middle Ages,
between 1262-1432, many villages and areas of land in the area of
Navarino and today's Pylia, did not belong exclusively to the family of
the Flemish crusader, but were shared between the Baronies of Arcadia
(Kyparissia) and Methoni. The nearby town of Kyparissia, then referred
to as Arcadia or Arkadia, was the seat of the Barony of Arcadia. This
barony was a vassal state of the Principality of Achaia founded in
1261/2 by Prince William II Willardouin. Originally, the city of Arcadia
formed part of the prince's personal possessions and was formed as
compensation for Vilain I d'Aulnay after the Byzantine recovery of
Constantinople from the Latin Empire in 1261. The baron's residence was
renovated ancient Castle of Arcadia. The history of this period is
particularly rich.
Also, according to the French and Greek
version of the "Chronicle of Moreus", the Flemish crusader Nicholas II
Saint Omer, who was ruler of Thebes, between 1258 - 1294, protostrator
and Bailos of the Principality of Achaia, received, around 1281 , large
tracts of land in Messinia in exchange for his wife's possessions in
Kalamata and Chlemoutsi and erected, in 1282, over the ruins of the
ancient Acropolis of Pylos and the destroyed Hellenistic, Roman and
Byzantine fortress, the first castle of Navarino ( the medieval one), in
the north-west of the bay, also known today as Palaiokastro Navarinou.
According to the Greek version of the "Chronicles", he built the
Castle of Avarino, for future use by his nephew, Nicholas III Saint
Omer, although the Aragonese version of the "Chronicles" attributes the
construction of the castle to Nicholas III himself , a few years later.
According to A. Bon, in his work "La Morée franque. Recherches
historiques, topographiques et archéologiques sur la principauté
d'Achaïe", the construction of the castle by Nicholas II, after 1280 is
more likely and perhaps probably during the period 1287-89, when he
served as Bailos of the Principality of Achaia. Despite Nicholas II's
intentions, it is unclear whether his nephew actually inherited
Navarino. If he did, it probably remained until his death in 1317, when
it and all the family's Messinian lands were returned to the central
administration of the principality, as Nicholas III had no children.
In 1293, in the area of Pylos, which was then also referred to as
Zoglos, at a location, which is currently unknown, a military
confrontation took place between the Principality of Achaia and
Aragonese pirates, who were plundering coastal towns of the
principality. The battle that took place then is also known as the
Battle of Zoglou. The castellan of the fortress of Kalamata and Baron of
Chalandritsa, George I Gizi, and the Baron of Calabria, John de Tournai,
participated, on the one hand for the Principality of Achaia, and on the
other hand, Admiral Rogers de Luria, who had taken over piracy at the
time action on behalf of the Kingdom of Aragon, who won.
The
fortress remained unremarkable thereafter, apart from the Battle of
Sapienza, 1354 between Venice and Genoa and an episode, in 1364, during
the conflict between Princess Marie of Bourbon and Prince Philip II of
Taranto , due to Mary's attempt to claim the Principality, after the
death of her husband Robert of Taranto. Maria had taken possession of
Navarino (along with Kalamata and Mani) from Roberto in 1358, and the
local castellan, loyal to Maria, was soon imprisoned by the Vailo of the
new prince, Simon del Poggio. Mary of Bourbon maintained control of
Navarino until her death in 1377. At that time, Albanians also settled
in the area, while in 1381/2 there were also Navarrese, Gascon and
Italian mercenaries.
From the early years of the 15th century,
the Venetians watched over the fortress of Navarino and its area,
fearing that their rivals, the Genoese, would seize it and use it as a
base for attacks against the Venetian fortresses of Methoni and Koroni.
In this case, the Venetians finally captured the fortress itself in 1417
and after prolonged diplomatic maneuvers, managed to legitimize their
occupation of it in 1423. In 1423 Navarino, like the rest of the
Peloponnese, suffered its first Ottoman raid, under the leadership of
Turakan Bey, which was repeated a second time in 1452.
For a short period of time, about 30 years, after the Frankish and
1st Venetian periods, the Despotate of Mystras (1349-1460) also
controlled various parts of the Navarino area. From 1417-18 the
Byzantines had managed to liberate most of Messinia and Ilia. In 1427,
the Byzantine fleet managed to defeat the Count Palatine of Kefallinia
and Zakynthos Charles I Tocco in a naval battle at the Echinades islets,
at the entrance of the Gulf of Patras, and a little later the Byzantines
occupied Glarenza in Ilia. In 1429, Constantine Palaiologos also
occupied Patras after a siege. Apart from Methoni, Koroni, Nafplion and
Argos, which remained in the possession of the Venetians, the entire
rest of the Peloponnese was taken over by the Paleologians, with
Theodorus ruling Mystras, Thomas the Glarenza and Konstantinos the
Kalavritas, shortly before the last to become emperor. But Turkish raids
continued unabated in the following years, as Sultan Muhammad II wanted
to prevent Theodore and Thomas, who were at odds with each other, from
sending reinforcements to the besieged capital. On the occasion of a
large Turkish raid, a revolt of the inhabitants broke out, led by Manuel
Katakouzinos, which ended ingloriously with the intervention of Turahan
or Turhan Bey. After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 and while the
two brothers continued to clash with each other, the Turks captured
Patras in 1458 and in 1460 Mystras surrendered without a fight to
Mohammed II who put an end to the despotism. The Barony of Arcadia was
also the last remnant of the Principality of Achaia which succumbed, in
1432, to the Byzantine Despots of the Moreos. After the conquest of
Patras and Chalandritsa in 1429-1430, which marked the de facto
dissolution of the Principality, the last Prince, Centyrion II
Zacharias, kept only Arcadia as his personal fiefdom. After his death in
1432, however, the Despot Thomas Palaiologos, though son-in-law of
Zacharias, seized the barony and imprisoned Zacharias' widow and
mother-in-law, who died in prison.
It was also the port of
Navarino, the point from which the Byzantine emperor John VIII
Palaiologos set out in 1437 for the Ferrara-Florence Synod, but also the
point from which the last Despot of the Mores, Thomas Palaiologos, set
out with his family of the West, in 1460, after the Ottoman conquest of
the Despotate of Morea.
The period of the First Ottoman rule in the region of Moria begins
with the second campaign of Sultan Mohammed II the Conqueror (Mehmed
II), in the Peloponnese. After the surrender of Mystras (Thursday 29 May
1460) and Bordonia, he occupied Kastritzi and Gardiki (where the
population of Leontario had taken refuge). The castles of Agios Georgios
and Karytaina followed, and then his army descended on the region of
Kontovouni and the region of Arcadia (Kyparissia), according to the
historian Laonikos Chalkokondilis. It is during this time that the area
of Navarino turns into a kaza for the first time.
After 1460, the
fortress of Navarino, together with the other Venetian castles in
Monemvasia and the Mani peninsula, were the only Christian areas of the
Peloponnese. Navarino's Venetian control was maintained during the First
Venetian-Turkish War (1463-1479), but not during the Second
Venetian-Turkish War (1499-1503), as after the Venetian defeats in the
Naval Battle of Zoglou in August 1499 and in the Naval Battle of
Methoni, in August 1500, Navarino's garrison surrendered, even though it
was well prepared for a siege. However, the Venetians attempted a
recapture shortly afterwards, on 3/4 December 1500, but on 20 May 1501,
a joint Ottoman attack by sea and land, under Admiral Kemal Reis and the
later vizier Khadim Ali Pasha or Atik Ali Pasha, took place which led to
the capture of Navarino by the Ottomans.
The Ottomans used
Navarino, which they called Anavarin or Avarna, as a naval base, either
for pirate raids or for large fleet operations in the Ionian and
Adriatic seas. In 1572/3, the Ottoman admiral (Kapudan Pasha), Kilic Ali
Pasha built the newest fortress of Navarino, in the southwest of Pylos
Bay, next to the modern town, which was called Anavarin-i Cedid ) or Neo
Navarino or Neokastro or Niokastro in Greek), to replace the outdated
Frankish castle. Neo Navarino or Niokastro or Neokastro, i.e. today's
Pylos, was gradually built around the new castle built by the Ottomans,
in 1573, to control the southern entrance to the bay of Navarino. The
castle was named Neokastro in contrast to Paleokastro, the older
fortress that controlled the northern entrance to the bay. Neokastro
(Niokastro) was also the original name of the newest settlement. The
name Pylos was given to the current settlement later, after the
liberation of Greece.
The Venetians recaptured Navarino again in the 1650s during the Great
Cretan War (1645–1669).
In 1668, the Ottoman chronicler and
traveler Evliya Çelebi in his book "Seyahatnâme", that is, "Book of
Travels" describes the city as follows:
Anavarin-i Atik is a
matchless castle ... the harbor is a safe anchorage ...
in most of
the streets of Anavarin-i Cedid there are many sources of running water
... The city is decorated with trees and arbors, so that the sun does
not hit the market, at all, and all the nobles of the city sit here,
playing backgammon, chess , various kinds of drawings and other board
games ....
In 1685, during the early stages of the Sixth
Venetian-Turkish War, also known as the War of the Morea (1684–1699),
the Venetians under Francesco Morosini and Otto Wilhelm von Königsmark
invaded the Peloponnese and captured most of it, and subsequently
captured two fortresses of Navarino. With the peninsula secure and under
Venetian control, Navarinou became an administrative center in the new
Kingdom of the Moreus. The area of Navarino during the period of the
Second Venetian Empire (1683/84-1715), i.e. the period of thirty years
(1683/84-1715), during which the Venetians re-occupied the Peloponnese,
through their possession (Stato da Mar ), which is also known as the
Kingdom of the Mores (1688-1715), was referred to as the territory or
province of Navarin (Territorio di Navarin).
At the time of the
2nd Venetian rule, both villages, one in Paleokastro and the other in
Niokastro, were referred to as Navarino or Navarino. The New Navarino
and the Old Navarino (Navarin Novo, Navarin Vecchio and Borgo di
Navarin) The settlement is also mentioned in various censuses of the
Venetian Forerunners of the Serene Republic of Venice, which were made
in the period of thirty years (1683/84-1715).
Based on the
Venetian Corner census of 1689, Navarino is listed as having 101
inhabitants. The entire province of Navarin (Territorio di Navarin),
based on the same census, had a total of 1,413 inhabitants,[49] while
twenty years later, it had risen to 1,797 inhabitants.
The
Venetians, who had seized the Peloponnese from the Ottoman Empire during
the early stages of the Morean War (1684-1699), tried with great success
to develop the region of Morea, which had been devastated by the war,
and to revive the agriculture and its economy, but they were unable to
win the allegiance of the greater part of the population, nor to secure
their new possession militarily. Thus, the Peloponnese was soon
recaptured by the Ottomans after a short campaign of theirs that took
place between June and September 1715. The area of Navarino remained a
Venetian province, until 1715, when the Ottomans recaptured the
Peloponnese, during of the seventh Venetian-Turkish war or Second War of
the Morea (1714–1718). The Venetian census of 1689 gave the population
as 1,413,
For about a century, the Turks occupied Moria again, until the Greek
Revolution of 1821. The area of Navarino and Pylia until its liberation
in 1821, became a kazas again, the Kazas of Navarino, i.e. one of the 24
provinces of Pasaliki Peloponnese, which belonged to the Ottoman Empire,
during the period of the Second Ottoman Empire of Moria. According to
the publication of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens
entitled A Historical and Economic Geography of Ottoman Greece: The
Southwestern Morea in the 18th Century, after the recapture of the Morea
regions by the Turks, the area of Navarino was another part of Ottoman
(defter) land registry.
On April 10, 1770, after a six-day siege,
the fortress of Neos Navarinos, Niokastro, surrendered to the Russians
during the Orlofiks. The Ottoman garrison was allowed to depart for
Crete while the Russians repaired the fortress to serve as their base.
On June 1, 1770, however, the Russians abandoned it by fleeing and the
Ottomans returned to the fortress burning it and partially demolishing
it. Meanwhile, the population residing there had escaped to the nearby
island of Sfakteria, where the Albanian mercenaries of the Ottomans
massacred most of them.
With the outbreak of the Revolution of 1821, the residents of Neokastro rebelled with Georgakis and Nikolaos Oikonomides as leaders. On March 25, 1821, the Siege of Neokastro began, which ended on August 9, 1821. The Ottoman garrison, reinforced by the local Muslim population of Kyparissia, held out until the first week of August, when they were forced to capitulate. Despite the promise made to them, for safe conduct/transportation, they were all eventually slaughtered, in what is known as the Navarino Massacre.
The situation in the liberated Morea was still unstable, when on
February 24, 1825, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt landed at Methoni, with 4,000
infantry and 500 cavalry. A month later, on March 17, 1825, additional
forces landed at Methoni, this time consisting of 7,000 infantry and 400
cavalry. The Ottomans gradually retook most of the Peloponnese,
including the area of Navarino, defeating the Greek defenders and
controlling the Morea until the naval battle of Navarino. From 1821 to
1825, for four years after the start of the Revolution, the Peloponnese
was controlled by Greek forces, except for the fortresses of Patras,
Methoni and Koroni, which were still occupied by Ottoman troops. The
civil wars had ended, since the beginning of 1825 and the political and
military leadership of the Peloponnesians had been defeated and
imprisoned, while the Rumeliote armed men who supported the central
administration with their weapons roamed the provinces of the Morea
committing acts of violence and causing discontent of the locals. The
Greeks, however, remained divided into two camps and were powerless to
stop the advance of the Ottoman troops. The government at the time
(Executive), headed by Georgios Kountouriotis, appointed the Hydrian
captain Kyriakos Skourtis as leader, to prevent Ibrahim from penetrating
into the interior of Messinia and then the rest of the Peloponnese. This
choice of the Executive caused a great disturbance in the army, as
Kountouriotis, blinded by regionalism, set aside capable soldiers such
as Georgios Karaiskakis, Anastasios Karatassos and Kitsos Tzavellas,
giving the leadership to a man inexperienced in land warfare. As Ibrahim
was besieging the castles of Paleokastro and Neokastro, the Greek rebels
had some victories, mainly Makrygiannis at Paleokastro and the
Macedonians, under Anastasios Karatassos, at the Battle of Schinolakka
(March 15/16, 1825) and Admiral Miaoulis with Naumachia of Methoni
(April 30, 1825). Ibrahim initially took care to consolidate his
supremacy in the south of Messinia, to ensure the communication between
Methoni and Koroni, and he fortified the narrow road between Methoni and
Neokastro. He himself camped on the Messinian plain. In western
Messenia, several battles took place between Greeks and Egyptians, which
prove the efforts of the former to initially pin down the enemy's forces
in the area and then to force them to leave the Peloponnese.
Ibrahim crushed, almost decisively, the Greek forces that tried to stop
his advance in Messinia. Characteristic examples are, moreover, the
battles that took place afterwards, with the Battle of Kremmidi (April
7, 1825), the battle and the Fall of Neokastro (May 6, 1825), the battle
and the Fall of Sphakteria (May 8, 1825). and finally with the Battle of
Maniaki, on May 20, 1825, where Papaflessas lost his life.
A strong philhellenic current had developed in the West after the
start of the Greek Revolution of 1821 and even more so after the heroic
Exodus of Messolonghi where the English poet, Lord Byron, had met his
death in 1824. Many artists and intellectuals, such as François- René de
Chateaubriand, Victor Hugo, Alexander Pushkin, Gioachino Rossini, Hector
Berlioz or Eugène Delacroix (in his works Scene from the Massacres of
Chios in 1824, and Greece in the Ruins of Messolongion in 1826),
strengthened the current of sympathy for the Greek cause in public
opinion.
With the Treaty of London of July 6, 1827, France,
Russia and the United Kingdom recognized the autonomy of Greece, which
would however remain a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. The three powers
agreed to a limited intervention to persuade the Porte to accept the
terms of the Treaty. A naval demonstration campaign was proposed and
adopted. An Allied fleet (British, French and Russian) of 27 warships
was sent to put diplomatic pressure on Constantinople. The allied fleet
consisted of twelve British ships (456 guns), seven French ships (352
guns) and eight Russian ships (490 guns), forming a total firepower of
nearly 1,300 guns.
On October 8/20, 1827, the combined
Egyptian-Ottoman fleet was completely destroyed in Pylos Bay during the
Battle of Navarino, by the allied fleets of the British Empire, the
Kingdom of France and the Russian Empire. More than 60 ships of the
Ottoman and Egyptian fleet were destroyed. This fact countered the
successes of Ibrahim and in the autumn of 1828 his troops were withdrawn
from the Peloponnese as well as from the fortress of Niokastro, which
had remained, and this under Ottoman occupation until the spring of
1828.
In the central square of Pylos there is today a relevant
monument commemorating that great victory of the allied fleets and their
three admirals, the British Sir Edward Codrington, the French Comte
Henri de Rigny and the Russian Longinus Hayden Логгин Петро́вич Ге́йDEN,
Lodewijk van Heiden). The monument is the work of the sculptor Thomas
Thomopoulos (1873–1937) and was unveiled in 1930, although it was
completed in 1933.
On October 6, 1828, Pylos was liberated by the French troops of
Marshal Nicolas-Joseph Maison during the French Expedition to Morée
(Expédition de Morée). The mission of this French expeditionary force of
15,000 men, sent by King Charles I of France to the Peloponnese between
1828 and 1833, was to implement the Treaty of London of 1827, the
agreement according to which the Greeks could have a state. The French
troops thus liberated in October 1828 the cities of Navarino, Methoni,
Koroni and Patras from the Egyptian army which had caused enormous
destruction to crops, towns and villages.
From the spring of
1829, today's Pylos was rebuilt, just outside the walls of Neokastro,
with a modern city design modeled after the cities of southwestern
France and the Ionian Islands (which share common elements, such as a
geometrically shaped central square , where three sides are enclosed by
covered galleries or galleries with colonnades and arched openings as at
Pylos and Corfu). The urban plan was actually drawn up by the French
engineer lieutenant colonel of the Moria campaign, Joseph-Victor Audoy.
This plan was approved by the governor Ioannis Kapodistrias on January
15, 1831 and is thus the second (after that of Methoni) city planning
plan in the history of the modern Greek state. The fortifications of
Neokastro were repaired, a barracks was built (the Maizonos building,
which today houses the Archaeological Museum of Pylos), many
improvements to the city were made (construction of schools, hospitals,
churches, postal services, shops, bridges, squares, fountains, gardens,
etc.), the old Ottoman aqueduct, which remained in ruins until 1828, was
repaired and maintained (it was used for the water supply of Pylos until
1907), and the Navarino-Methoni road, the first in independent Greece
(which is still used today), also built by French engineers.
Part
of this mission were also 19 scientists, the "Scientific Mission of
Morea" (Mission Scientifique de Morée), who mapped the Peloponnese and
the Aegean islands, studied the ancient monuments and described the
results of their research in books that give important information about
the season. According to them, the area of the province of Navarino,
based on the French census of 1829, had a total of 1,596 inhabitants.
Some French merchants and French officers of the Morea campaign, who
remained permanently in the city with their families after the troops
returned to France in 1833, settled in a small quarter in the north of
the city, near a Catholic church that no longer exists today . This area
is still today called Fragomahalas or Fragoklisa. The French have always
had a special interest in the city and at this time the greatest French
writers wrote texts dedicated to Navarino, such as François-René de
Chateaubriand (in 1806), Essen Sy (in 1827), Victor Hugo (in 1827),
Edgar Quinet (in 1830) or Alphonse de Lamartine (in 1832).
In 1833, after the departure of the French, the name "Pylos" was given to the new city of Navarino (to remind the Homeric state of the same name) by royal decree of the newly established king of Greece, Otto I. In 1835 it was designated the seat of the Municipality of Pylia. The Municipality of Pylia was formed by the royal decree of April 9, 1835 and was classified in the 3rd class of municipalities, with a population of 782 inhabitants. The citizen of Pylos was called Pylios. In 1844, however, Pylos was still referred to by its older name, as Neokastron and Kalyvia. Pylos was the seat of the community between 1912-1946 and the seat of the former municipality of Pylos between 1946-2010. Since 2011 it has been the seat of the new Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros.
The Province of Pylias was originally created, with the administrative division of 1833, as one of the six original provinces of the Prefecture of Messinia. It was subsequently abolished with the administrative division of 1836 which temporarily abolished the prefectural system and was reconstituted in 1848 as one of the four provinces of the prefecture of Messinia. It remained unchanged until 1997, when it was abolished with the Kapodistrias plan. Its seat was Pylos and this province occupied the south-southwest part of Messinia.
Pylos was annexed in 1835, to the old Municipality of Pylos, or Municipality of Pylia, as it was referred to, where it remained until 1912 when this municipality was abolished. Along with Pylos, in 1835, the settlement of Pyla was annexed, while 5 years later, in 1840, the settlements of Kantiliokeri, Karamanoli, Koukkounara, Lezaga and Chandrinos (which were separated from the old Municipality of Aigaleou), Avarinitsa ( which was detached from the old Municipality of Pidassos), Gouvalovaros, Iklena, Ichthyotropheion of Gialova, Mylos tou Kaleli, Mylos Karamanolis, Mylos Pispisia, Osmanaga, Ano Papoulion, Kato Papoulion, Petrohori, Platanos, Pisaski, Romanos and Schinolakka (which were detached from the old Municipality of Korifasi). In 1845, the new settlement of Papoulia and the settlement of Kynigos ((which was separated from the old Municipality of Methoni) were annexed to the old Municipality of Pylia, while in the same period the settlements of Apothika tis Gialova, Ichthyotropheion tis Gialova, Mylos tou Kaleli, Mylos Karamanoli, Mylos Pispisia were abolished , Mylos Huseinaga, Nisos Sphakteria, Ano Papoulion and Kato Papoulion. Pylos is mentioned, in 1853, also as "Pylos (Neokastron) and Kalivia", in the second volume of "Hellenics" by Iakovos Rizos Ragavis, as the "town seat" of of the Municipality of Pylos in the District of Pylia with a population of 924 inhabitants for the town and 3,017 inhabitants for the Municipality of Pylos respectively, based on the census of 1851. In 1889 the new settlement of Palionero was annexed to the old Municipality of Pylia and the settlement of Moni tou Agios Nikolaos was abolished, while the In 1908, the new settlements of Gialova, Balodimeika and Sgrapa were added to the old Municipality of Pylia, and the settlement of Gouvalovaros was also abolished.In 1912, the old Municipality of Pylia was abolished and the Community of Pylos was established (1912-1946).
In 1912, Pylos was detached from the old Municipality of Pylos, which was then abolished and became the seat of the Community of Pylos. Pylos remained the seat of the homonymous community from 1912 to 1946, which was officially recognized again as the former Municipality of Pylos. Along with Pylos, the settlements of Gialova, Palionero and Pyla were annexed to the Community of Pylos, while in 1919 the settlement of Balodimeika (detached from the Community of Chandrinos), Sgrapa (detached from the Community of Ikleni) and Shinolakka (detached from the Community of Pylos) were annexed to the Community of Pylos. Koukkounaras). In 1933 the settlements of Pyla and Balodimeika were detached from the Community of Pylos and annexed to the Community of Pyla, while in 1940 the name of the settlement Palionero was corrected to Palaionero and Sfakteria (island) and Pylos (island) were also recognized as new settlements of the Community of Pylos. In the 1940 census, the town of Pylos is listed outside of parentheses with its official name as Pylos and inside parentheses as Navarinon and Neo Kastron. In 1946 the Community of Pylos was recognized in the former Municipality of Pylos (1946–2010).
The second establishment of the Municipality of Pylos took place in
1946 with its seat again in Pylos, while the municipality continued its
operation after 1997, when then, as part of the changes that occurred in
the local government, through the "Kapodistrias" plan, various changes
in the abolished Municipality of Pylos, until 2010.
The former
municipality of Pylos had 11 Municipal Apartments and a total population
of 5,287 inhabitants, based on the 2001 census, which with their
respective populations were:
D.d. Pylos: 2,561, (settlements: Pylos:
2,104, Gialova: 258, Elaiophyto: 102, Palaionero: 27, Sfakteria
(island): 0, Schinolakka: 70).
D.d. Ampelokipoi: 119, (settlements:
Ampelokipoi: 54, Kato Ampelokipoi: 65)
D.d. Glyfada: Glyfada: 251
D.d. Iklaini: Iklaina: 361
D.d. Kallithea: 710, (settlements:
Kallithea: 664, Arapolakka: 46)
D.d. Hunter: Hunter: 361
D.d.
Mesochori: Mesochori: 219
D.d. Pappoulion: 225, (settlements:
Pappoulia: 123, Platanos: 102)
D.d. Jump: Jump: 146
D.d. Pylas:
190, (settlements: Pyla: 151, Balodimaiika: 39)
D.d. Chomatada: 323,
(settlements: Chomatada: 181, Perivolakia: 142)
Since 2011, after the new changes of the "Kallikratis" plan, Pylos
belongs to the Regional Unit of Messinia which was established with the
Kallikratis Program, and specifically it now belongs to the new
Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros. This municipality was established
under the Kallikratis Program by merging the pre-existing municipalities
of Koroni, Methoni, Papaflessa, Pylos, Nestoros and Chiliochoria. Today
Pylos, in addition to being the seat of the municipality, is also the
seat of the Municipal Unit of Pylos and the Municipal Community of
Pylos.
According to the last census of 2011, the Municipality of
Pylos - Nestoros has 21,077 inhabitants, the Municipal Unit of Pylos has
5,287 inhabitants, the Municipal Community of Pylos has 2,767
inhabitants and Pylos, as a town, has 2,345 inhabitants, while other
large towns of the Municipality of Pylos - Nestoros is Chora with 3,454
inhabitants, Koroni with 1,397 inhabitants and Methoni with 1,103
inhabitants.
The current mayor of the Municipality of Pylos -
Nestoros is Panagiotis Karvelas, who was elected in the Greek
self-governing elections 2019, during the second round.
Today the Municipal Unit of Pylos of the Municipality of Pylos -
Nestoros has, based on the 2011 census, 5,287 permanent residents and
includes 1 municipal community and 10 local communities, with a total of
22 settlements:
Municipal Community of Pylos, with 2,767
permanent residents, which includes the following 6 settlements:
Gialova: 275, Elaiophyton: 81, Palaioneron: 19, Pylos: 2,345, Sphakteria
(island): 0, Schinolakka: 47
Local Community of Ampelokipi, with 99
permanent residents, which includes the following 2 settlements:
Ampelokipi: 35 and Kato Ampelokipi: 64
Local Community of Glyfada,
with 219 permanent residents, which includes the following 1 settlement:
Glyfada
Local Community of Iklaina, with 313 permanent residents,
which includes the following 1 settlement: Iklaina
Local Community of
Kallithea, with 664 permanent residents, which includes the following 2
settlements: Arapolakka: 35 and Kallithea: 629
Local Community of
Kynigos, with 258 permanent residents, which includes the following 2
settlements: Vozikeika: 13 and Kynigos: 245
Local Community of
Mesochorion, with 157 permanent residents, which includes the following
1 settlement: Mesochorion
Local Community of Pappoulia, with 187
permanent residents, which includes the following 2 settlements:
Pappoulia: 103 and Platanos: 84
Local Community of Pidasos, with 166
permanent residents, which includes the following 1 settlement: Pidasos
Local Community of Pyla, with 147 permanent residents, which includes
the following 2 settlements: Balodimaiika: 26 and Pyla: 121
Local
Community of Chomatada, with 310 permanent residents, which includes the
following 2 settlements: Perivolakia: 125 and Chomatada: 185
Pylos, based on the 2011 census, has 2,345 permanent residents, who are employed in trade and service provision, tourism, as well as in various agricultural works. The main agricultural production concerns olives and vines. In the summer, its population increases, along with the increase in tourist traffic, as well as expatriates from various foreign countries.
Built on two hills, one of which is overlooked by Niokastro, the city of Pylos opens into an amphitheater on the magnificent bay of Navarino, an amphitheater whose foreground would be the central square of Pylos and the stage, its harbor and the sea. Modern Pylos has an excellent layout and has all the amenities of a modern city. It is simultaneously a tourist, transportation and commercial center. The western end of National Road 82 starts from the center of Pylos. The highway runs from west to east and connects Pylos with Kalamata and Sparta. Its area has a favorable climate, with particularly mild winters. The modern town was designed in 1829 during the Kapodistrian period (after the Battle of Navarino in 1827 and the liberation of the city in 1828), by the French engineers of the Morea Campaign of marshal Maizonos, with an urban plan by Joseph-Victor Odois, and was inhabited by Asia Minor, Iptanesians and Moraites (from mountainous Triphylia and Gortynia). Until 1990, OSE bus service ended in Pylos responding to the railway that ended from Athens in Kyparissia and served the provinces of Trifyllia and Pylia.
Apart from the modern houses, several of the older stone houses with
spacious courtyards, roofs and balconies are preserved, mostly built
between narrow streets, some with stone cobblestones and some with
steps. Close to the waterfront is the central square of the town, the
square of the Three Admirals (Codrington, Derigny and Hayden), while
around it dominate the arched ground floors of the central buildings of
the market of Pylos. In the central square there are also palm trees and
mainly rich centuries-old plane trees that offer shade to the residents
of Pylos and its visitors, during the hours of leisure in its
traditional café-patisseries, while towards the north-west side of
Pylos, in the area of Fragomahala, in front of the modern port there are
various fish taverns.
In Pylos there are also the Archaeological
Museum of Pylos and the Museum of Marine Antiquities. In Nestoros
Square, at the port, the Town Hall dominates and next to it the
renovated two-storey house of the Olympic champion Kostis Tsiklitiras,
where the Collection of the Philhellenic René Pio (René Puaux) is
housed. Near the harbor is the preserved Old Gymnasium of Pylos, founded
in September 1921 by Royal Decree, and built in 1924. After its closure
in 1987, it housed the "Nestor" Institute of Astroparticle Physics of
the National Observatory (which was responsible for the Neutrino
Extended Submarine Telescope with Oceanographic Research Project -
NESTOR Project - Neutrino Extended Submarine Telescope with
Oceanographic Research Project, See NESTOR Project & KM3NeT). In
September 1992, the historic building of the Pylos Gymnasium, by
decision of the Ministry of Culture, was designated as a Historical
Preserved Monument and will house the Library and the Gallery of the
Municipality of Pylos in the future. There are other important
attractions, historical sites, castles, beaches and habitats in Pylos
that turn this town in southwestern Messinia into an important tourist
center for excursions and visits to the wider area of Pylia.
In
the town there are bank branches, a post office, various clinics, a
Health Center, a fire station, a sailing school, nurseries, primary
schools, a Gymnasium, a Lyceum as well as the Pylos Conservatory,
recognized by the state. The city is also home to several cultural and
development associations.
There are also various other shops, pharmacies, bakeries, traditional cafes around its main square and the other main streets. Also, cafes, restaurants, bars, taverns, supermarkets, gas stations, vulcanizers, etc. shops of various mechanical supplies and agricultural tools, located in various central points and the road arteries of the town.
High on a hill to the east of the town is the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin, while to its west, within Niokastro, there is the old Holy Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, temples which belong to the Holy Metropolis of Messinia.
The Port of Pylos, with its modern pier, is one of the safe destination or stopover points for ships traveling in the Mediterranean. In continuation of the Port, towards its east, there is also the Marina of Pylos.
The Archaeological Museum of Pylos is housed in the renovated Maizonos building (it was indeed a former barracks built by the troops of the Moria campaign), within Niokastro. In August 2018, the inauguration of its operation took place in this building. In the past, the Museum was housed in an older building, on Filellinon Street, which was also known as the "Antonopoulio Archaeological Museum of Pylos". Among the Museum's exhibits are findings from various vaulted tombs in the area of Pylia, such as the vaulted tomb of Koukounara in Palaiochoria, which includes a seal stone, gold bands, a gravestone and two necklaces. Also on display are a large anklet from the Hellenistic mound of Tragana, as well as a number of gifts, vases and copper vessels.
Listed below are well-known personalities who were born, came from or
had some kind of connection with Pylos:
They were born in Pylos
Mycenaean & Classic era:
Nestor: mythical hero of ancient Greece and
king of Pylos.
Melambodas or Melabus: seer, progenitor of the "divine
race", the Melambodidae, who saved the Dionysian religion, according to
Herodotus.
Newer era:
Ioannis Zepos (1870-1946): jurist,
regular contributor to the "Great Greek Encyclopedia" and the
"Encyclopaedic Dictionary Eleftheroudakis".
Kostis Tsiklitiras
(1888–1913): track and field athlete, and Olympic medalist at the 1908
London Olympics (silver medal in the unmanned long jump and silver medal
in the unmanned high jump) and the 1912 Stockholm Olympics (gold medal
in the long jump without wearing and bronze medal in the high jump
without wearing).
Georgios Samaras (1903–1984): politician and Member
of Parliament of Messinia with ERE (elected 1956, 1958, 1961 and 1963).
He was the brother of Pylios, the cardiologist Konstantinos Samaras, and
the uncle of former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Yannis
Spyropoulos (1912-1990), painter.
Notis D. Karavias (1919-2004):
editor.
Dimitris N. Papadimas (1924-2016): editor.
Vasilis Tsaglos
(1939-2017): actor.
Antonis Samaras (1951–): politician, Member of
Parliament of Messinia and former Prime Minister of the Hellenic
Republic (June 20, 2012 – January 26, 2015). He was born in Athens but
comes from Pylos.
They had some kind of connection with Pylos
Telemachus: mythical hero of Ithaca, son of Odysseus and Penelope, who
visited Pylos, where he was hosted by Nestor and then, accompanied by
Nestor's son, Peisistratos, visited Pheres and Sparta, where he was
hosted by Menelaus .
Theoclymenus: seer, son of Polypheides and
great-grandson of Melampodas. In Pylos he met Telemachus, who took him
with him to Ithaca.
Edward Codrington (Sir Edward Codrington,
1770–1851): Admiral of the British fleet (Battle of Navarino).
Marie
Henri Daniel Gauthier, comte de Rigny, 1782–1835: Admiral of the French
fleet (Battle of Navarino).
Loggin Heyden (Логин Петрович Гейден,
Lodewijk van Heiden, 1773–1850): Admiral of the Russian fleet (Battle of
the Navy).
Nicolas-Joseph Maison (Nicolas-Joseph Maison, 1770–1851):
Marshal and leader of the French Morea Campaign that liberated Pylos on
October 6, 1828.
Joseph-Victor Audoy (Joseph-Victor Audoy,
1782–1871): Lieutenant colonel of the engineer in the French Morea
Campaign. He designed the first urban plan of Pylos, which was approved
by the governor Ioannis Kapodistrias on January 15, 1831.
Carl Blegen
or Karolos Blegen (Carl William Blegen, 1887–1971): American
archaeologist, who worked on the excavations of ancient Pylos.
Stavros Psycharis (1945-2022): publisher, his father ran a restaurant in
Pylos.