Lagadia village

Lagadia is the creation of famous stonemasons who were born here and worked all over the Peloponnese during the 19th century, building admirable houses with traditional architecture. And talking of landscape, the views from this village are outstanding.

Photos

+ 1

The craftsmen of Lagadia have contributed to the evolution of the architecture in the newly established Greek nation. In their homeland their craftmanship was expressed in all its glory. 
Arriving from the main road from Tripolis to Pyrgos you should make a stop to admire the large and amphitheatrically built settlement: A group of stone two- to four-storey houses with tiled roofs descends on the NW side of Mainalon at an altitude of 950, above the gorge of the river Tuthoa.

The village has been declared a Traditional Settlement since 1978 and the houses you see here were built from 1840 onwards. The knowledge and craftmanship was passed down from generation to generation and evolved morphologically so that experts nowadays can  date the buildings.
Lagadia is crisscrossed by a network of cobbled pathways, and providing you don’t mind feeling a little out of breath it’s well worth following them upwards to neighbourhoods like Agia Triada. From this point the view that stretches all the way to Zakynthos on a clear day.

A monument that stands out in Lagadia is the church of Timios Prodromos, built in 1808, one of the few pre-revolutionary churches that survive in the area with admirable external stone reliefs. The church of Taxiarches, on the main road, is of the same period. It is the metropolis of the settlement and next to it is the ornate stone clock from 1910. Another building of great architecture is the one that houses the high school. Built in 1868, it was recognized in 2020 as a Historic Preservation Monument.

As well as producing excellent stonemasons, the village also produced Prime Ministers with both Nikolaos and Theodoros Deligiannis coming from a Lagadian family which played a significant part in the 1821 Greek War of Independence. The family house has been declared a Monument to be preserved. It was burned by Ibrahim's army in 1825 and in its original form it had fortified towers. The battlements are still visible on the outside

The Blossoming Stones
For 13 years the non-profit association Blossoming Stones has been doing great work in promoting the stone craftmanship as well as the historical, architectural and cultural heritage of Lagadia, and training young craftsmen (https://anthitispetras.gr ). During July they organize the “Festivities of the Stones”, featuring a rich program of workshops, seminars, guided tours and artistic activities.

Did you know that

Section 8 of the menalontrail path passes through Lagadia, connecting it to Valtesiniko.

Lagadia is on the road from Tripolis to Pyrgos Ilias and is 21 km outside Vytina. 

The village features some stone-built guesthouses as well as tavernas and cafes.

Location

Find the destination on the interactive map below.