Pylos

Pylos(UK:/ˈpaɪlɒs/,US:/-loʊs/;Greek:Πύλος), historically also known asNavarino, is a town and a formermunicipalityinMessenia,Peloponnese,Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part of the municipalityPylos-Nestoras, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.It was the capital of the formerPylia Province. It is the main harbour on the Bay of Navarino. Nearby villages includeGialova, Pyla, Elaiofyto, Schinolakka, and Palaionero. The town of Pylos has 2,568 inhabitants, the municipal unit of Pylos 4,559 (2021).The municipal unit has an area of 143.911 km.
Pylos has been inhabited sinceNeolithictimes. It was a significant kingdom inMycenaean Greece, with the remains of the so-called "Palace of Nestor" excavated nearby, named afterNestor, the king of Pylos inHomer'sIliad. InClassical times, the site was uninhabited, but became the site of theBattle of Pylosin 425 BC, during thePeloponnesian War. After that, Pylos is scarcely mentioned until the 13th century, when it became part of theFrankishPrincipality of Achaea. Increasingly known by its French name ofPort-de-Joncor its Italian nameNavarino, in the 1280s the Franks built theOld Navarino castleon the site. Pylos came under the control of theRepublic of Venicefrom 1417 until 1500, when it was conquered by theOttoman Empire. The Ottomans used Pylos and its bay as a naval base, and built theNew Navarino fortressthere. The area remained under Ottoman control, with the exception of a brief period ofrenewed Venetian rulefrom 1685–1715 and a Russian occupation from 1770–71, until the outbreak of theGreek War of Independencein 1821.Ibrahim Pasha of Egyptrecovered it for the Ottomans in 1825, but the defeat of the Turco-Egyptian fleet in the 1827Battle of Navarinoand the French military intervention of the 1828Morea expeditionforced Ibrahim to withdraw from the Peloponnese and confirmed Greek independence. The current city was built outside the fortress walls by the military engineers of the Morea expedition from 1829 and the namePyloswasrevivedby royal decree in 1833.
Pylos retained its ancient name into Byzantine times, but after theFrankish conquestin the early 13th century, two new names appear:
In the late 14th or early 15th century, when it was held by theNavarrese Company, it was also known asChâteau Navarres, and calledSpanochori(Σπανοχώρι, "village of the Spaniards") by the local Greeks.
UnderOttomanrule (1498–1685, 1715–1821), the Turkish name wasAnavarin[o](آناوارين). After the construction of the new Ottoman fortress (Anavarin kalesi) in 1571/2, it became known asNeokastro(ΝεόκαστροorΝιόκαστρο, "new castle") among the local Greeks, while the old Frankish castle became known asPalaiokastro(ΠαλαιόκαστροorΠαλιόκαστρο, "old castle").
The region of Pylos has a long history, which goes hand in hand with that of Peloponnese. It starts in the depths of prehistory, as the region has been inhabited since theNeolithic, when populations fromAnatoliabegan to spread in the Balkans and Greece around 6500 BC, bringing with them the practice of agriculture and farming. Excavations have demonstrated a continuous human presence from the Late Neolithic period (5300 BC) on several sites ofPylia, in particular in those ofVoidokiliaand ofNestor'scave, where numerousostracaor fragments of painted, black and polished ceramics have been found, as well as later engraved and written pottery.The Neolithic period ended with the appearance ofbronze metallurgyaround 3000 BC.
During theBronze Age(3000–1000 BC), theMycenaean civilizationdeveloped, particularly in Peloponnese. Pylos then became the capital of one of the most important human centers of this civilization and of a powerful kingdom, often referred to asNestor's kingdom of "sandy Pylos" (ἠμαθόεις) and described later byHomerin both hisIliadand hisOdyssey(Book 17) whenTelemachussays:
The Mycenaean state of Pylos (1600–1200 BC) covered an area of 2,000 km(770 sq mi) and had a minimum population of 50,000 according to theLinear Btablets discovered there, or even perhaps as large as 80,000–120,000.It should not however be confused with the current city of Pylos. The urban center of ancient Pylos indeed remains only partially identified to date. The various archaeological remains of palaces and administrative or residential infrastructures that have been found in the region so far suggest to modern scholars that the ancient city would have developed over a much larger area, that of thePylia Province.The typical point of reference for the Mycenaean city remains thePalace of Nestor, but many other palaces (such as those ofNichoriaandIklaina) or villages (such as Malthi) of the Mycenaean era have been recently discovered, which were quickly subordinated to Pylos.Itsportand itsacropoliswere probably established on theKoryphasionpromontory (orCape Coryphasium) commanding the northern entrance to the bay, 4 km north of the modern city and south of Nestor's palace, but no remains were found.
The Pylos site is located on the hill of Ano Englianos, about 9 km northeast of the bay37°01′41″N21°41′42″E﻿ / ﻿37.028°N 21.695°E﻿ /37.028; 21.695, near the village ofChoraand about 17 kilometres from the modern city of Pylos. It hosts one of the most important Mycenaean palaces in Greece, known as the great "Palace of Nestor" described in the Homeric poems. This palace remains today the best preserved palace in Greece and one of the most important of all Mycenaean civilization. It was discovered and first excavated in 1939 by American archaeologistCarl Blegen(1887–1971) of theUniversity of Cincinnatiand theAmerican School of Classical Studies at Athens, and byKonstantinos Kourouniotis(1872–1945) of the Greek archaeological service. Their excavations were interrupted by the Second World War, and then resumed in 1952 under the direction of Blegen until 1966. He found many architectural elements such as the throne room with its foyer, an anteroom, rooms and passageways all covered withfrescoesof Minoan inspiration, and also large warehouses, the external walls of the palace, unique baths, galleries, and 90 meters outside the palace, abeehive "tholos" tomb, perfectly restored in 1957 (Tholos tomb IV).
In addition to the archaeological remains of the palace, Blegen also found there thousands of clay tablets with inscriptions written inLinear B, asyllabic scriptused between 1425 and 1200 BC for writingMycenaean Greek. Pylos is the largest source in Greece of these tablets with 1,087 fragments found on the site of the Nestor's Palace. In 1952, when self-taught linguistMichael VentrisandJohn Chadwickdeciphered the script, Mycenaean Greek turned out to be the earliestattestedform ofGreek, some elements of which have survived in the language of Homer thanks to a long oral tradition of epic poetry.Thus, these clay tablets, generally used for administrative purposes or for recording economic transactions, clearly demonstrate that the site itself was already called "Pylos" by its Mycenaean inhabitants (Pulosin Mycenaean Greek; attested in Linear B aspu-ro,𐀢𐀫).
In 2015, the team of American archaeologistsSharon StockerandJack L. Davisof theUniversity of Cincinnatiand under the aegis of theAmerican School of Classical Studies at Athens, discovered near theTholos tomb IV, ashaft tomb(non-tholos) dated to theLate Helladic IIA(LHIIA, 1600–1470 BC), of an individual of 30–35 years old and 1.70 m tall, the "Griffin warrior", named for the mythological creature, part eagle, part lion, engraved on an ivory plaque in his tomb.The tomb also contained armor, weapons, mirror and many pearl and gold jewels, including several gold signet rings of exceptional craftsmanship and thoroughness. Researchers believe it could be the grave of aWanax, a tribal king, lord or military leader during the Mycenaean era.It was also in this tomb that was found thePylos Combat Agate,a seal made ofagatedated from around 1450 BCE, which represents a warrior engaged in a hand-to-hand combat.In 2017, the same team discovered two other exceptional tholos tombs,Tholos tombs VI and VII. Although their domes had collapsed, they discovered that they were littered with flakes of gold leaf that once papered the walls and found a multitude of cultural artifacts and delicate jewelry, including a gold pendant representing the head of the Egyptian goddessHathor, which showed for the first time that Pylos clearly had trade relations with Egypt and the Middle East around 1500 BCE.
Pylos was the only palace of that time to have no walls or fortifications. It was destroyed by fire around 1180 BC and many clay tablets in linear B clearly bear the stigmata of the fire.The Linear B archives found there, preserved by the heat of the fire that destroyed the palace, mention hasty defence preparations due to an imminent attack without giving any detail about the attacking force.The site of the Mycenaean Pylos then seems to have been abandoned during theDark Ages(1100–800 BC). The region of Pylos, together with that of theancient Messene, was later enslaved bySparta.
The ruins of a crude stone fortress on nearbySphacteria, apparently of Mycenaean origin, were used by theSpartansduring thePeloponnesian War. (Thucydides iv. 31)
It was one of the last places which held out against the Spartans in theSecond Messenian War, after which the inhabitants emigrated toCyllene, and from there, with the otherMessenians, toSicily.Its name is mentioned again in the seventh year of the Peloponnesian War. According to the Greek historianThucydidesin hisHistory of the Peloponnesian War, the area was "together with most of the country round, unpopulated".The ancient city was not located at the modern Pylos, but north of the isle ofSphacteria. In 425 BC theAthenianpoliticianCleonsent an expedition to Pylos where the Athenians fortified the rocky promontory now known as Koryphasion (Κορυφάσιον) orOld Pylosat the northern edge of the bay, near theGialova Lagoon, and after a conflict with Spartan ships in theBattle of Pylos, seized and occupied the bay.Demosthenes, the Athenian commander, completed the fort in 424 BC.
The erection of this fort led to one of the most memorable events in the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides has given a minute account of the topography of the district, which, though clear and consistent with itself, does not coincide, in all points, with the existing locality, Thucydides describes the harbour, of which the promontory Coryphasium (Koryphasion) formed the northern termination, as fronted and protected by the island Sphacteria, which stretched along the coast, leaving only two narrow entrances to the harbour,--the one at the northern end, opposite to Coryphasium, being only wide enough to admit two triremes abreast, and the other at the southern end wide enough for eight or nine triremes. The island was about 15 stadia in width, covered with wood, uninhabited and untrodden.Pausaniasalso says that the island Sphacteria lies before the harbour of Pylos like Rheneia before the anchorage of Delos.A little later the Athenians captured a number of Spartan troops besieged on the adjacent island of Sphacteria (seeBattle of Sphacteria). Spartan anxiety over the return of the prisoners, who were taken to Athens as hostages, contributed to their acceptance of thePeace of Niciasin 421 BC.
Little is known of Pylos underByzantinerule, except for a mention of raids byCretan Saracensin the area c. 872/3.In the 12th century, the Muslim geographeral-Idrisimentioned it as the "commodious port" ofIrūdain hisNuzhat al-Mushtaq.
In 1204, following theFourth Crusade, the Peloponnese became thePrincipality of Achaea, aCrusader state. Pylos fell quickly to the Crusaders according to a brief reference in theChronicle of the Morea, but it is not until the 1280s that it is mentioned again. According to the French and Greek versions of theChronicle,Nicholas II of Saint Omer, the lord ofThebes, who in c. 1281 received extensive lands in Messenia in exchange for his wife's possessions ofKalamataandChlemoutsi, erected acastleat Navarino. According to the Greek version, he intended this as a future fief for his nephew,Nicholas III, although the Aragonese version attributes the construction to Nicholas III himself, a few years later. According to A. Bon, a construction under Nicholas II in the 1280s is more likely, possibly in the period 1287–89 when he served as the viceroy (bailli) of Achaea.Despite Nicholas II's intentions, however, it is unclear whether his nephew did indeed inherit Navarino. If he did, it remained his until his death in 1317, when it and all the Messenian lands of the family reverted to the princely domain, as Nicholas III had no children.
The fortress remained relatively unimportant thereafter, except for thenaval battlein 1354 betweenVeniceandGenoa,and an episode in 1364, during the conflict betweenMary of Bourbonand the PrincePhilip of Taranto, due to Mary's attempt to claim the Principality following the death of her husband,Robert of Taranto. Mary had been given possession of Navarino (along with Kalamata andMani) by Robert in 1358, and the localcastellan, loyal to Mary, briefly imprisoned the new Prince'sbailli, Simon del Poggio. Mary retained control of Navarino until her death in 1377.At about this time,Albanianssettled in the area, while in 1381/2, Navarrese, Gascon and Italian mercenaries were active there.From the early years of the 15th century, Venice set its eyes on the fortress of Navarino, fearing lest its rivals the Genoese seize it and use it as a base for attacks against the Venetian outposts ofModonandCoron. In the event, the Venetians seized the fortress themselves in 1417 and, after prolonged diplomatic manoeuvring, succeeded in legitimizing their new possession in 1423.
In 1423, Navarino, like the rest of the Peloponnese, suffered its first Ottoman raid, led byTurakhan Bey, which was repeated in 1452.It was also at Navarino that EmperorJohn VIII Palaiologosembarked in 1437, heading for theCouncil of Ferrara, and where the lastDespot of the Morea,Thomas Palaiologos, embarked with his family in 1460, following the Ottoman conquest of the Despotate of the Morea.After 1460, the fortress, along with the other Venetian outposts andMonemvasiaand theMani Peninsula, were the only Christian-held areas in the peninsula.Venetian control over Navarino survived theFirst Ottoman–Venetian War(1463–79), but not theSecond(1499–1503): following the Venetian defeat in theBattle of Modonin August 1500, the 3,000-strong garrison surrendered, although it was well provisioned for a siege. The Venetians recaptured it shortly after, on 3/4 December, but on 20 May 1501, a joint Ottoman land and sea attack underKemal ReisandHadım Ali Pasharetook it.
The Ottomans used Navarino (which they calledAnavarinorAvarna) as a naval base, either for piratical raids or for major fleet operations in the Ionian and Adriatic seas.In 1572/3, the Ottoman chief admiral (Kapudan Pasha)Uluç Ali Reisbuilt anew fortressat Navarino (Anavarin-i Cedid, "New Navarino", orΝεόκαστρο,Neokastroin Greek), to replace the outdated Frankish castle.
The Venetians briefly captured Navarino in the 1650s during theCretan War.
In 1668,Evliya Çelebidescribed the city in hisSeyahatname:
In 1685, during the early stages of theMorean War, the Venetians underFrancesco MorosiniandOtto Wilhelm Königsmarckinvaded the Peloponnese and captured most of it, successfully storming the two fortresses of Navarino in the process. With the peninsula safely in Venetian hands, Navarino became an administrative centre in the new "Kingdom of the Morea", as the Venetian province was called, until 1715, when the Ottomansrecovered the Peloponnese.The Venetian census of 1689 gave the population as 1,413, while twenty years later it had risen to 1,797 inhabitants.
After the Ottoman reconquest, Navarino became the centre of akazain theSanjak of the Morea.On 10 April 1770, after a six-day siege, the fortress of New Navarino surrendered to the Russians during theOrlov Revolt. The Ottoman garrison was allowed to depart for Crete, while the Russians repaired the fortress to make it their base. On 1 June, however, the Russians left, and the Ottomans re-entered the fort and burned and partially demolished it.Meanwhile, the population gathered there had escaped to nearby Sphacteria, where Albanian mercenaries of the Ottomans slaughtered most of them.
After the outbreak of theGreek War of Independenceagainst the Ottoman occupation in mid-March 1821, the Greeks quickly won many victories and proclaimed their independence on 1 January 1822. Navarino was besieged by the local Greeks on 29 March. The garrison, augmented by the local Muslim population ofKyparissia, held out until the first week of August, when they were forced to capitulate. Despite their promise for safe conduct, the Greeksmassacredthem all.
The Greek victories was short lived. The Sultan called for aid from his Egyptian vassalMuhammad Ali, who dispatched his sonIbrahim Pasha of Egyptto Greece with a fleet and 8,000 men, and later added 25,000 troops.Ibrahim's intervention proved decisive: the region of Pylos fell on 18 May 1825 after the battles ofSphacteria(8 May) andNeokastro(11 May), much of thePeloponnesewas reconquered in 1825; the gateway town ofMessolonghifell in 1826; and Athens was taken in 1827. The only territory still held by Greek nationalists was inNafplion,Mani,Hydra,SpetsesandAegina.
A strong current ofphilhellenismhad developed in Western Europe, especially after the fall in 1826 of Missolonghi, where the poetLord Byronhad died in 1824. Many artists and intellectuals likeChateaubriand,Victor Hugo,Alexander Pushkin,Gioachino Rossini,Hector BerliozorEugène Delacroix(in his paintingsScenes massacres of Scioin 1824, andGreece on the ruins of Missolonghiin 1826), amplified the current of sympathy for the Greek cause in the public opinion. By theTreaty of London of July 1827, France, Russia and the United Kingdom recognised the autonomy of Greece, which remained a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. The three powers agreed to a limited intervention in order to convince thePorteto accept the terms of the convention. A plan to send a naval expedition as a demonstration of force was proposed and adopted; subsequently a fleet of 27 warships of the allied navies ofUnited Kingdom,FranceandRussiawas sent to exert diplomatic pressure against Constantinople.It included twelve British ships (for 456 guns), seven French ships (352 guns) and eight Russian ships (490 guns), for a total firepower of nearly 1,300 guns. TheBattle of Navarino(20 October 1827) resulted in the total destruction of the combined Ottoman–Egyptian fleet (around 60 warships destroyed).
An obelisk-shaped memorial dedicated to the victory of the Allied fleets and their three admirals, the BritishEdward Codrington, the FrenchHenri de Rignyand the RussianLodewijk van Heidenwas later erected on the central square of Pylos. The monument was the work of the sculptor Thomas Thomopoulos (1873–1937) and its unveiling took place in 1930, although it was completed in 1933.
On 6 October 1828, Pylos was definitively liberated from the Ottoman–Egyptian troops of Ibrahim Pasha by the French troops of theMorea expeditioncommanded byMarshal Nicolas-Joseph Maison.The mission of this expeditionary corps of 15,000 men, sent by kingCharles X of Franceto the Peloponnese between 1828 and 1833, was to implement the Treaty London of 1827, an agreement under which the Greeks would have the right to an independent state. The French troops liberated the cities of Navarino (Pylos), Modon (Methoni), Coron (Koroni) andPatrasin October 1828.
The current city of Pylos was built starting in the spring of 1829, outside the walls of Neokastro, on the model of thebastidesof Southwest France and the cities of theIonian Islands(which share common features, such as a central geometrical square bordered by covered galleries built with a succession of contiguousarches, each supported by acolonnade, as thearcadesof Pylos orCorfu).Pylos's urban framework was designed byJoseph-Victor Audoy, lieutenant-colonel of themilitary engineeringof the Morea expedition, who originated fromTarn, a department of Southwest France. This plan was approved by the governor of independent GreeceIoannis Kapodistriason 15 January 1831, making it the second urban plan (after that of Methoni) in the history of the modern Greek state.The fortifications ofNeokastrowere raised, a barracks was built (the "Maison's building" which houses nowadays the Archaeological Museum of Pylos), many improvements were made to the city (installation of school, hospital, church, postal service, shops, bridges, squares, fountains, gardens, etc.), the old Ottoman aqueduct, which had fallen into ruins until 1828, was restored (it then served until 1907), and the road between Navarin and Modon, the first road of independent Greece (which is still used today), was also built by the French engineers.
Part of the Morea expedition were also 19 scientists from the "Morea Scientific Mission",whose work proved essential to the ongoing development of thenew Greek Stateand, more broadly, marked a major milestone in the modern history of archaeology, cartography and natural sciences, as well as in the study of Greece. According to one of their population censuses in the province of Navarino in 1829, it had a total of 1,596 inhabitants.Some French merchants and officers of the Morea expedition, who remained in the city with their families after the troops returned to France in 1833, settled in a district located in the north of the city, near a Catholic church that has since been demolished. This district is still called today "Francomahalas" (inGreek: Φραγκομαχαλάς, fromArabic: محلة (mahallah), district) or "Francoklisa" (inGreek: Φραγκοκλησά, church of the French).The French always had a particular interest in the city, and at that time, the greatest French writers wrote texts specifically dedicated to Pylos, such asFrançois-René de Chateaubriandin 1806,Eugène SueandVictor Hugoin 1827,Edgar Quinetin 1830andAlphonse de Lamartinein 1832.
In 1833, after the departure of the French, the name "Pylos" (in reference to the ancient city of King Nestor) was given to the new city of Navarino by royal decree of the newly installed kingOtto I of Greece.
The fortress of Pylos was transformed into a place of deportation of political opponents during thetotalitarian regime of Metaxasbetween 1936 and 1941. Administratively, Pylos was the seat of the Municipality of Pylos between 1912 and 1946, then became the seat of the Deme of Pylos between 1946 and 2010. Since the 2011 reform, Pylos has been the seat of the new Municipality ofPylos-Nestor.
The city of Pylos is located at the foot of a promontory which extends Mount Aghios Nikolaos (482 m) and carries the fortress. It is located at the south-western end ofPeloponnese, on theIonian coast. It is an important shipping center and, in recent years, it has experienced significant tourist development, exploiting its magnificent coastline. The narrowisland of Sphacteriaserves as a natural breakwater for Navarino Bay, making the port of Pylos one of the safest anchors of the Ionian coast.
Pylos has excellent roads and all the communication amenities of a modern city.Greek National Road 82departs from the center of Pylos and connects directly toKalamatain less than an hour, and from there toAthensin two hours.Kalamata International Airport(KLX, Captain Vassilis C. Constantakopoulos Airport), which is expanding rapidly, offers many scheduled flights to the major cities of Greece, and many charter flights during the touristic season from many international destinations.
According to the census of 2021, the municipality (deme) of Pylos-Nestor has 17,194 inhabitants. The municipal unit of Pylos has 4,559 inhabitants, while the community of Pylos has 2,568 inhabitants, making it the seventh most populous city inMessenia, after the capitalKalamata(58,816),Messini(5,958),Kyparissia(5,763),Filiatra(4,729),Gargalianoi(4,724) andChora(2,609).
The city of Pylos has two castles (Kastra): the FrankishPaleokastro(old castle) and the OttomanNeokastro(new castle). The first is located northwest of Navarino Bay and north of theisland of Sphacteria, while the second is southwest of the bay, on the heights of the city of Pylos. ThePaleokastro, located on the top of the promontory of Coryphasium(Koryphasion)(which is in geological continuity with the island of Sphacteria from which it is only separated by the narrow pass ofSykia), is built on the site of the ancient acropolis of Pylos. It offers a panoramic view, stretching from theIonian Seato the Plain ofPylia. Below is Nestor's cave, where, according to mythology, the king of Pylos raised his oxen, and thebay of Voidokilia, whose beach is regularly ranked among the most beautiful in the world.It borders theGialova lagoon(Osman-aga lake), located to the east and Navarino bay to the south. However, access to thePaleokastromay present some risks for the safety of visitors, due to its great deterioration. On the other side of the Navarino bay, theNeokastro, which is in a better state of conservation, looks out onto the island of Sphacteria, the bay of Navarino, and the city. It is one of the best preserved castles in Greece. It contains within its walls the well-preservedChurch of the Transfiguration of the Savior, built by the Franks, later transformed into a mosque, then again into a Christian church. In the pine forest of theNeokastrois also the old barracks built by the French troops of the Morea expedition, which now houses thenew archaeological museum of Pylos.
South of the city of Pylos, on the road to Methoni, is the old Navarinoaqueduct, built in the 16th century by the Ottomans to meet the water supply needs of theNeokastro. Composed by two hydraulic systems, it led the waters from the water intakes of theplateau of Koumbeh(located near the town of Chandrinou about 15 kilometers northeast of Pylos on the road to Kalamata) andPaleo Nero(located near the village of Palaionero). The two systems combined into a single system that can still be seen today around Pylos in the district ofKamares. Then, thanks to an underground conduit of the aqueduct, the water penetrated inside the fortress to feed there the fountains of theNeokastro.Fallen into ruins until 1828, it was restored in 1832 by the French engineers of the Morea expedition, and was used to supply Pylos with water until 1907.
Leaning against two hills, one of which is overlooked by the fortress of theNeokastro,the town of Pylos faces the bay of Navarino. Pylos preserves many houses from the 19th century. These are built of stone, with typicalMessenianarchitecture and surrounded by spacious courtyards and gardens. They are built mainly between narrow streets, generally symmetrical, and according to the original urban plan established by French military engineers of theMorea expeditionat the beginning of the 19th century.Many of the streets have retained their original stone paving, and several of those which climb the hills, are pedestrianized and have steps.
Near the seafront is thecentral city square, the Square of the Three Admirals, surrounded by buildings whose ground floor houses, most often underarcadegalleries, markets, bakeries, shops and traditional cafes. The seaside, to the north-west of the city, follows a recentlypedestrianized streetwhich leads from the central square to themodern port, passing through theFrancomahalasdistrict. In this street, aligned along the old port, are several traditionalfish taverns. The port is dominated by theCity Hall of Pylos. Next to it is recently renovated two-story house of theOlympic champion Kostis Tsiklitiras, in which a museum has been installed, which exposes a collection of paintings, engravings and ancient documents collected by the French philhellene, historian and writerRené Puaux(1878–1936). A little further, still following the seaside, is the historic building of the College of Pylos which was founded in September 1921 by royal decree and built in 1924.After the cessation of its activities in 1987, the building housed until very recently the Institute of Physical Astrophysics "Nestor" of the National Observatory of Greece. The institute is in charge of the international research project NESTOR and itsunderwater neutrino detector, which is installed more than 4,000 meters deep, in the deepestmarine trenchof the Mediterranean Sea, 31 km off Pylos.In September 1992, the historic building of the College of Pylos was classified by the Ministry of Culture as aPreserved Historic Monumentand will house soon in the near future the public library and gallery of the municipality of Pylos.
The city also has bank branches, a post office, various clinics, a health center, a fire station, a sailing school, nurseries, primary schools, a college, a high school and a music conservatory recognized by the State. The city is also home to several cultural and development associations.
Also built by French troops of theMorea expeditionin 1829, the central square of Pylos is characterized by its triangular geometric pattern, one of the sides of which opens onto the sea and the port of Pylos, and whose two other sides are bordered by covered galleries witharcades, built with a succession of contiguousarches, each supported by acolonnade, recalling the architecture of the central squares of thebastidesof Southwest France and those of the cities of theIonian Islands(such asCorfu).These galleries are home to many small markets and businesses, as well as traditional and more modern cafes and restaurants. Most of their terraces extend over the square itself, which is shaded by several hundred-year-oldplane trees. In the center, surrounded by two majesticphoenix, is a monument commemorating thebattle of Navarino, anobeliskdedicated to the victory of the Allied fleets and their threeadmirals, the BritishEdward Codrington, the FrenchHenri de Rignyand the RussianLodewijk van Heiden.
On the eastern slope of Pylos hill is the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (Ieros Naos tis Kimiseos tis Theotokou), while to the west, inside theNeokastro, is the former Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior (Ieros Naos tis Metamorphosis tou Sotiros), both of which belong to the Metropolis of Messenia. The Church of the Transfiguration occasionally organizes religious activities (it has been converted into a museum and exhibition center), while that of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary still gathers many faithful during its regular services, and particularly during the celebration of Easter and the Myrtidiotissa Virgin (the Virgin withmyrtles, to whom the church is dedicated) which attract many pilgrims from Athens and abroad who come to take part in processions that take place in the center of the city.
The port of Pylos is one of the safest boarding destinations for ships traveling in theMediterranean Sea. Navarino Bay continues to regularly serve as a shelter for ships during storms in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, its strategic location between theIonian Seaand theAegean Seamakes it an ideal destination for an intermediate station on the route to theCyclades, theDodecanese Islandsor toCrete. With its modern pier, it frequently welcomes manycruise shipsduring the summer season. To the east of the port, there is also themarinaof Pylos, for which a project of modernization is currently running to meet the requirements for the rapid tourism development of the region.
North of Pylos (17 km (11 mi)) and south of the town ofChora(4 kilometres), is the hill ofAno Englianoswhich houses the MycenaeanBronze Agepalace known as the "Palace of Nestor" (1600–1200 BC). This palace remains today in Greece the best preserved palace and one of the most important of allMycenaean civilization. The remains of the palace consist of the throne room with its foyer, an anteroom, passageways, large warehouses, the external walls of the palace, unique baths, galleries, and 90 meters away from the palace, abeehive tholos tomb(funerary chamber with dome) perfectly restored in 1957 (Tholos tomb IV). Very recently, in 2015, the team of American archaeologistsSharon StockerandJack L. Davisof theUniversity of Cincinnatidiscovered and excavated, near the palace, thetomb of the "Griffin Warrior", and even more recently in 2017, two other tholos tombs (Tholos tombs VI and VII), all three containing a multitude of cultural artifacts and jewels of exceptional delicacy (such as thePylos Combat Agateor a golden pendant depicting the head of the Egyptian goddessHathor, which show that Pylos had trading connections, previously unknown, with Egypt and the Near East around 1500 B.C.E).In June 2016, the site reopened to the public after 3 years of work to replace the old roof of the 1960s with a modern structure with elevated walkways for visitors. The archaeological site of the Palace of Nestor can be visited every day, except on holidays and on Tuesdays.
The archaeological museum is located in the center of the village ofChora, located 4 kilometres north of the Palace of Nestor. The museum was built in 1969 to house the artifacts discovered in Nestor's Palace and in the rest of the region. However, some of them are currently exposed in theNational Archaeological Museum of Athens, in the first room devoted to Mycenaean civilization. The Museum of Chora has three rooms. The first room contains finds almost exclusively from the tombs of the region: pots, weapons and jewelry. The second room contains finds from the region of Englianos and from the Palace of Nestor. In addition to the large storage jars and other ceramics from the palace warehouses, there are some wallfrescoes, such as that depicting a lyre player with a bird, as well as war and hunting scenes. In the last room are exposed other finds from the hill of Englianos and the Palace of Nestor and in particular part of the contents of the tombs of this region, such as giant vases, cups and jewelry. The Archaeological Museum of Chora can be visited every day, except on public holidays and on Tuesdays.
North of Navarino Bay, near the village ofGialova, theGialova wetland(Osman-aga lake) is one of 10 major lagoons in Greece.Part of theNatura 2000 network, it is considered a place of remarkable natural beauty and as one of the important bird areas in Europe.It has also been listed as a 1500-acre archaeological site, lying between Gialova and the bay of Voidokilia. Its alternative name ofVivariis Latin, meaning 'fishponds'. With a depth, at its deepest point, of no more than four meters, its pond constitutes anornithological reserveof exceptional importance in Europe, as it is the southernmost stopover ofbirds migratingbetween the Balkans and Africa. It gives shelter to no fewer than 270 bird species, among themgreater flamingos,glossy ibis,grey herons,great egrets,little egrets,Eurasian curlews,golden plovers,black-winged stilts,great cormorants,common kingfishers,ruffs,garganeys, but alsoAudouin's gullsand birds of prey (lesser kestrels,ospreys,peregrine falconsandimperial eagles).It is Gialova, too, which plays host to a very rare species, nearing extinction throughout Europe, theAfrican chameleon. The observation post of the Greek Ornithological Society allows visitors to find out more and to watch the shallow brackish waters of the lake; they can walk the paths that circumscribe Gialova's different ecosystems.
At the western end of the lagoon is the smallbay of Voidokilia, whose cove-shaped beach is regularly ranked among the most beautiful in the world.It is bordered on one side (to the east) by theDivari lagoonfrom which it is separated by a dune bank, on the other side (to the west) by theIonian Seaonto which it opens, and finally on a third side (to the south) by the Navarino bay. The beach is also part of theNatura 2000 network. It is free to access and can be reached by two routes: either by a road from the village ofGialovawhich crosses the Divari lagoon, or by a path which crosses the village ofPetrochori. On the northern promontory at the entrance to theVoidokilia lagoonis a Mycenaeanbeehive tholos tombknown as "Thrasymedes', the son of king Nestor. On the heights of the beach, going up towards thePaleokastro, is the cave known as "Caveof Nestor", in which, according to mythology, the king of Pylos was raising hisoxen.
On the way from Voïdokilia to the village ofGialovato the east, an asphalt road follows the narrow strip of land passing between theDivari lagoonand Navarino bay. Along this road is a long white sandy beach which runs along the bay of Navarino: the Beach of the Golden Coast (Paralia tis Chrysis Aktis) or Divari beach. It joins to the east another beach, within the village of Gialova, the beach of Gialova.
Since 2017, every year around October 20, the "Navarinia" are organized in memory of thebattle of Navarino (20 October 1827)by the municipality of Pylos-Nestor and the volunteers of the local association who is in charge to organize the event.Spread over a period of several days, the celebrations culminate on the anniversary of the battle in the port of Pylos, with the participation of theHellenic Navyand diplomatic and military representatives of the three Allied countries.Frigatesof the Hellenic, British, French and Russian navies, as well as manyold sailing shipstake part in the reenactment of the famous battle organized with an impressivesound and light show. The evening most often ends with the firing of a reconstructed ship that supposedly took part in the battle and with an impressivefireworks displayfired from the port.
The celebrations are also accompanied on previous days by various cultural events that take place in parallel in other parts of the city (ceremonies and tributes to the dead on the various memorials of Pylos and of the region, national and international conferences, parades in the streets of Pylos, traditional musical and dance performances, etc.).Although organized at the end of the touristic season, these celebrations generally attract a large crowd of spectators. In 2019, the demonstrations, which took place in the presence of thePresident of the Hellenic Republic, gathered more than 10,000 visitors.In 2020, the Navarinia have been awarded theGold Tourism Award 2020in the category Cultural Tourism.