Old Kardamili

Over Kardamyle in Mani, we find Old Kardamili that is built on the slope of the mountain. It is a fortified complex, consisting of tower houses, built around the beautiful 18th-century church of Agios Spiridon that dates from the 18th-century. The whole area, and the fortified complex as well, belong to the renowned family of captains Mourtzines-Troupakides, who were constantly fighting with the Mavromihalis family, asserting the sovereignty of Mani.

Old Kardamyli has a long history and played an important role in the liberation of the entire country against the Turks. Passing through the gate of the castle, in the yard of the tower of Mourtzinos, we will see the marble inscription from the memoirs of Kolokotronis “on  January 6, I visited the residence of my father’s friend Captain Panagiotis Troupakis”.

Kolokotronis went at Old Kardamili to organize the Greek revolution and to begin the liberation struggle, on March 22, 1821, when he started with 2,500 locals from Mani to release Kalamata and Tripoli, after he had already released Nafplio.

At the Troupakis – Mourtzinos fortress that was built in 1807, the visitor of Old Kardamyli can see the half-ruined arched gate, five ruined towers, a forge, an underground cistern, a mill, the small chapel of Agios Theodoros and a beautiful fountain with a characteristic double-arched inscription.

The fortress hosts the Museum of Mourtzinos and, moreover, from Old Kardamili you walk through the gorge of Viros and see after 10 minutes of walking the graves of Dioscuri.