Kalamata

By plane:

In the summer months, charter and scheduled flights fly direct to Kalamata International Airport from some European cities.

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By road:

Kalamata is accessed by GR-7/E55/E65 in the west and GR-82 runs through Kalamata and into the Taygetus.

The distance between Athens and Kalamata is approximately 2.5 hours by car.

There is a bus link (KTEL) to Tripoli, Corinth and Athens with frequent services.

By sea:

Ferries are available to places such as the Greek islands of Kythira and Crete in the summer months.

The modern name Kalamata is a corruption of the older name Καλάμαι, Kalámai, "reeds". The phonetic similarity of Kalamáta with the phrase "kalá mátia" ("good eyes") has led to various folk etymologies.

• HISTORY

The history of Kalamata begins with Homer, who mentions Pharai, an ancient city built more or less where the Kalamata Castle stands today. It was believed that during ancient times the area that the city presently occupies was covered by the sea, but the proto-Greek and archaic period remains (Poseidon temple) that were unearthed at Akovitika region prove the opposite.

• MIDDLE AGES

Following the Fourth Crusade, Kalamata was conquered by Frankish Crusaders under William of Champlitte and Geoffrey of Villehardouin in 1205, when its Byzantine fortress was apparently in so bad a state that it could not be defended against them. Thus the town became part of the new Principality of Achaea, and after Champlitte granted its possession to Geoffrey of Villehardouin, the town was the heart of the Villehardouins' patrimony in the Principality; Prince William II of Villehardouin was born and died there.

After William II's death in 1278, Kalamata remained in the hands of his widow, Anna Komnene Doukaina, but when she remarried to Nicholas II of Saint Omer, King Charles of Anjou was loath to see this important castle in the hands of a vassal, and in 1282 Anna exchanged it with lands elsewhere in Messenia.

• UNDER THE TURKISH RULE

Kalamata was occupied by the Ottomans from 1481 to 1685, like the rest of Greece. In 1659, during the long war between Ottomans and Venetians over Crete, the Venetian commander Francesco Morosini, came into contact with the rebellious Maniots, for a joint campaign in the Morea, in the course of which he took Kalamata. He was soon after forced to return to Crete, but the Venetians returned in the Morean War.

The Venetian Republic ruled Kalamata from 1685 as part of the "Kingdom of the Morea". During the Venetian occupation the city was fortified, developed and thrived economically.

1715: the Ottomans reoccupy Kalamata and control it until the Greek War of Independence.

1821: Kalamata is the first city to be liberated as the Greeks rise in the Greek War of Independence. On 23 March 1821, it was taken over by the Greek revolutionary forces under the command of generals Theodoros Kolokotronis, Petros Mavromichalis and Papaflessas.

1825: the invading Ibrahim Pasha destroys the city.

• MODERN HISTORY

In independent Greece, Kalamata was rebuilt and became one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean sea. It is not surprising that the second-oldest Chamber of Commerce in the Mediterranean, after that of Marseille, exists in Kalamata.

WWII: on 29 April 1941, a battle was fought near the port between the invading German forces and the 2nd New Zealand Division, for which Jack Hinton was later awarded the Victoria Cross.

After World War II, and due to political issues, Kalamata, as well as most of the Peloponnese, was excluded from the government development plans in favour of north Greece. That was a major brake on the local economy, resulting in the decline of the port and hence the city.

During the 1970s and 1980s, development and growth in Kalamata were unknown.

Kalamata was again in the news and headlines on Saturday, 13 September 1986, as an earthquake measured at almost 6.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake, although, reported as "moderately strong", caused heavy damage and killed 20 people.

Following this severe damage, the local authorities and individuals strained their financial resources to bring a wind of change to the forgotten capital of Messinia.

Due to these efforts, Kalamata has now fully recovered and developed into a modern provincial capital.

Today, Kalamata has the second largest population and mercantile activity in Peloponnese. It makes important exports, particularly of local products such as raisins, olives and olive oil.

It is also the seat of the Metropolitan Bishop of Messenia.

Source: wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

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