The Byzantinist, however, thinks of Mistra. The ruined city, just a few kilometres outside the modern city of Sparta, is the most important example in existence of late Byzantine secular architecture. The great palaces of Constantinople have disappeared without a trace; the early ones are beneath the Topkapi Palace while the late palace of Blachernae is a crumbling ruin. Only churches stand throughout the rest of the Byzantine world to mark the passage of a great empire. Mistra, however, contains simple dwellings as well as palaces providing a clear idea of how a major, provincial Byzantine capital would have appeared during the Empire’s last period of prosperity under the Palaeologian emperors.
Mistra was the administrative capital of the Despotate (province) of the Morea — the medieval name for the Peloponnisos — and the residence of the Despot (governor or viceroy). This was the only main province left to the Byzantine Empire during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and the Despot was usually a man of very high rank, often of the royal family, so that his court mirrored the Emperor’s in Constantinople. All the great, noble Greek families of the Morea built their own mansions within the city and thousands of commoners moved to Mistra because the presence of the Despot and the great walls of the city provided protection.
Mistra is a relatively new city. It began as a fortress built by Guillaume de Villehardouin in 1249 on top of a hill already crowned by a small Byzantine chapel. The hill was called Mizethra (because it looked like the cheese of the same name), but the Frankish invaders changed it to Mistra or ‘mistress’ (in the sense of the feminine form of master). It was reputed to be Villehardouin’s favourite fortress but when he was taken captive after the disastrous battle of Pelagonia against the renascent Byzantine state he was forced to turn it over together with Monemvasia and the Castle of Maina, to Michael VIII Palaeologus as ransom.
When the Byzantine governors established themselves in this fort, all the Greek inhabitants of medieval Sparta (known as La Cremonie to the Franks, from Lacedaemonia) moved to within its walls and the population grew rapidly. Despite repeated Turkish burnings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the town is preserved to roof level in many cases and provides the best glimpse of major, late-Byzantine construction outside of Asia Minor. The only two entrances to the city, when I visited it last fall, were the fortress gate in the lower city and just above the Nauplia gate located below Villehar-douin’s castle. The path is easy to follow, but arduous, especially toward the castle, but is not difficult if made in stages. A complete tour will take several hours so take a picnic lunch with you as virtually no food is available at the site.
The best preserved and most restored buildings are the churches. Many of them are vitally important to the history of late-Byzantine painting and architectural technique; several of them, despite lavish expenditure on unsightly concrete domes, are merely examples of second-rate Byzantine churches with which we are all too familiar. This is a pity because the time and money might have been better directed toward fully restoring the private houses or parts of the palaces. These large buildings would make fine museums of Byzantine life. As it is, a sculptural display is on the ground floor of the colonnade of the Cathedral and an exhibit of pottery, bronzes, coins and the like on the first floor of the same building (which is virtually never open for some odd reason).
The Cathedral is one of the most evocative buildings in the city: one may stand on the marble, double-headed eagle plaque set into its floor, supposedly where Constantine XI, the last ruler of the Byzantine Empire (1448-1453), was crowned emperor. Two other major churches are the Pantanassa and the Perivleptos. The former is now a nunnery with a full complement of nuns prowling here and there. Should you be a woman wearing what is considered indecent attire, you will be presented with a long blouse and skirt which you must don before entering the church. The Church of Perivleptos is reputedly the finest in the city. It is located just within the walls and is surrounded by trees. Next to Perivleptos is one of the finest Medieval towers in Greece, ornamented in a Gothic-Byzantine style.
The great importance of Mistra, however, lies in the unusually well preserved state of the private houses and the governmental buildings; the palace of the Despot is certainly the most impressive example of Medieval secular, non-military architecture in Greece. Under no circumstances should either the palaces or the castle be missed. The palace complex slowly grew during the thirteenth century and has been partially restored. If you become tired after climbing part-way up to the castle, sit down in a sheltered spot and have your lunch before continuing on your way. The view is surely among the most awesome in Greece. The castle itself is, in fact, rather small although it looks quite immense and imposing from below. On a clear day it will be obvious why this chateau was Villehardouin’s most beloved.
The ruins of early Medieval and Ancient Sparta are rather unimpressive but you should pay them a quick visit. The walls of the low acropolis, built in the late third to fourth century A.D., are well preserved and interesting for the re-used material they contain. (They were built hurriedly in fear of barbarian attack.) The theatre is under excavation and fenced. (Under no circumstances should you enter any newly excavated area.) The most impressive ruin is a large, Roman-brick portico near the main gate; it is, alas, badly overgrown and buried up to half its original height.
Finally, the museum in the city of Sparta must not be missed. Not only does it contain a fine group of votive reliefs (note how the seated figures turn their heads to look out of the relief at the viewer, a rare motif) but it also has a series of bizarre masks worn by youths in the secret rites of Artemis Orthia. These masks, with their strange deformed features, have a striking resemblance to the secret society masks of many modern West African tribes.
Sparta can be reached by road from Athens, most of the roads to this area having been recently improved so that they are now quite good. Mistra is only three miles from Sparta and has frequent bus service.
Sparta has many hotels in every category. As you move away from the main square, restaurants increase in quality and decrease in price. Sparta is also a centre for some of the most luxurious and pleasant zaharoplastia in Greece, most located on the main square. (Women travelling alone or in pairs are advised that male Spartans appear more predatory than any other Greeks.) A great many Spartans speak excellent English, since so many of them are expatriates who have returned from abroad.
Although spring through fall are the best times to visit, those imbued with a sense of atmosphere may, however, find Mistra exceptionally exciting in the winter.
