Stavropigio is a quaint Messinian village built amidst the Western Mani’s rolling olive groves, a short distance from Kalamata airport and the areas gorgeous beaches.
Set on a hill, underneath Zarnata Castle, until the late 20th century the village used to be known as Varousia a word denoting a settlement outside a castle, usually inhabited by noble and well off families.
It is though the area used in antiquity to be known as Gerinia, a settlement whose castle is mentioned in Homer’s works. It belonged to the Messinians until Roman Emperor Augustus handed the area over to the people of neighbouring Lakonia.
Between the 15th and 19th centuries the Byzatine Paleologi family, the Venetians, the Ottomans and the Maniots fought for control of the area. Eventually in 1715 the castle came under Ottoman rule until the Greek revolutionary war of 1821. In fact at some point it even served as a base for revolutionary hero Theodoros Kolokotronis.
Since then it has been used as a windmill, church, and more recently, tourist attraction. Today the locals are mostly employed in agriculture and tourism.
Visitors can explore the historical churches on Zoodochos Pigi, Saint Nikolaos and Saint Prodromos. A short distance from the village, they can find the monastery of Androubevitsa which was built in the 12th century and features elements of traditional architecture of the Mani and the frescos of the Assumption of Mary that date back to the 13th century AD.
Stone House Messinia 