Archaeological Site of Mystras

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Mystras: The Medieval Jewel of the Morea

The Archaeological Site of Mystras, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989, stands as a testament to the rich history and cultural diversity that once thrived in the Morea region of Greece. Nestled within the picturesque landscape of the Taygetus mountain range, this fortified town offers a unique blend of Byzantine, Frankish, and Ottoman influences, making it a captivating destination for historians, archaeologists, and travelers alike.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconquered by the Byzantines, then occupied by the Turks and the Venetians, the city was abandoned in 1832, leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ii): Mystras constitutes a medieval city whose art, the fruit of the so-called Palaeologan Renaissance, influenced the development of Late Byzantine and Post-byzantine art. The influence of the art of Mystras during the late and post Byzantine era is visible on a large number of monuments in the Peloponnese (such as Geraki, Mani, Longanikos, Leontari, Roinos) especially in painting. During the late Byzantine period the radiance of the art of the Despotate seems to influence the artistic streams which are developed throughout the Greek territory – including that of the Cretan School painting – always in combination with the powerful influence exerted by the art of Constantinople. This influence can be easily seen on the works of post-Byzantine painters, such as Xenos Digenis originating from the Despotate who was active in Crete, Aitolia, and Ipeiros or the family of Phokas in Crete and many others. The heritage of Mystras is apparent 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, thus contributing to the European Renaissance.

Criterion (iii): Mystras constitutes a unique example of a Byzantine city, an expression of flourishing urban society within the late Byzantine Empire. As a political and administrative provincial centre of the Byzantine state, Mystras became a unique intellectual, cultural and artistic centre.

Criterion (iv): Mystras is an exceptional 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 fabric 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 craft-based activities. Various architectural styles are applied in ecclesiastical architecture, but the so-called “mixed type of Mystras” (in which a three aisled basilica at ground level is combined with a five-domed cross-in-square at the level of the gallery) is dominant. The splendid complex of palaces, one of the few Byzantine survivals, the impressive mansions and the urban residences clearly demonstrate the high quality of life of the city’s inhabitants in the two last centuries of the Byzantine Empire.

Encyclopedia Record: Mystras

Mystras or Mistras, also known in the Chronicle of the Morea as Myzethras or Myzithras (Μυζηθρᾶς), is a fortified town and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Situated in the Taygetus range, above ancient Sparta, and below a "Frankish" castle, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering during the Palaeologan Renaissance, including the teachings of Gemistos Plethon. The city also attracted artists and architects of the highest quality.

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