MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF PIERIA

MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF PIERIA

In Pieria, in addition to it’s rich natural beauty and amenities for an unforgettable vacation, visitors can discover the strong signs of its rich historical past. As it is geographically a passage, between Macedonia and Thessaly, in the past it was an important geographical landmark for the region of Northern Greece, but also for the entire Greek territory. The great and famous mountains of Pieria, Olympus, which according to mythology was the abode of the Gods, and Pieria, the Kingdom of the Muses, have been a point of reference since the mythical years.

Small, but also large and important settlements developed by the sea, as well as at the foot of the important mountains of Pieria. With a geostrategic position, these settlements flourished and evolved, simultaneously evolving the historical identity of the wider area.

Ancient Dion

Ancient Dion is one of the most famous archaeological sites of Pieria, where as visitors you can see the ruins of the homonymous ancient Macedonian city. It is said to have been named after the temple of Zeus, it was a holy city for the Macedonians, while it is strategically located on the narrow passage from Macedonia to Thessaly. The archaeological site of Dion is quite extensive, its organization and layout are excellent and it offers the visitor clear routes for his tour between the monuments.

Ancient Livithra

Between Palaia Leptokarya and Skotina, lies the site of Ancient Livithra, an ancient city with an Acropolis. In the area there is incredible natural beauty, with the Acropolis of Livithra, surrounded by three streams.

Excavations are underway in this area, which have revealed important finds dating back to the Mycenaean era. The archaeological park of Livithra, extends over a large area of approximately 15 acres

Makrygialos Neolithic Settlement

In the area of Ancient Pydna, lies the Neolithic settlement of Makrygialos of Pieria, which is one of the largest prehistoric settlements in Greece.

The settlement of the Late Neolithic I (Makrygialos I) consists of sparsely built, circular huts with basements dug into the ground. The floor of the buildings consists of tree trunks, which cover the basements. The upper structure was made of stakes, branches and clay. In the periphery of the settlement huge trenches were uncovered, with a diameter that sometimes exceeded 30 meters. These trenches were a guide for digging the trenches.

Settlement I is surrounded by a double moat. The inner moat consists of pits and is 4.5 m wide and 3.5 m deep, while the outer moat is smaller. After the abandonment of this settlement, the ditches were used for burials, but also for waste. Between the two phases, there may have been a temporary abandonment of the settlement.

During the Late Neolithic II (Makrygialos II), the settlement was quite diversified, keeping, however, the basic structure of the older phase. The total area of the settlement shrinks significantly, while the buildings are smaller, but with a denser arrangement. The buildings were of a similar type with a diameter of 5 meters. Community works, ditches and trenches exist in this phase as well, however, they did not play such an important role. On the contrary, the inhabitants of the settlement put more emphasis on private spaces.

The buildings remain circular and semi-subterranean, while a significant number of finds were found in underground structures. Between the subterranean and semi-subterranean buildings, open outdoor spaces were formed, often paved with stones, which were used for the daily tasks of Neolithic people.

At the end of the younger phase of settlement II, rectangular and larger buildings were used. More specifically, a 15 m long arched building was found, which may not have been the only one in the settlement. The most well-preserved building had an area of 60 m, i.e. much larger than the underground and semi-underground buildings that preceded it. And in this phase, the settlement was protected by the ditches.

The archaeological dig also brought to light many tools, vessels and jewelry. More specifically, 10,000 tools made of obsidian and flint, 8,000 tools made of polished stone (picks, chisels, chisels, etc.). Around 240 clay and marble figurines, ring-shaped periaptas of marble (Makrygialos I) and bronze (Makrygialos II), bone and bone jewelry and copper objects (beads, prongs, forged wires and plates). All these findings reveal the full range of activities of Neolithic people.

Source: Users.sch.gr

Ancient Pydna – Episkopi of Kitros

Pydna was the most important ancient city of Pieria. The city remained under Macedonian rule – with short breaks – from the 8th BC. century until the Roman conquest. It continued to be an important city during the Roman and Byzantine periods, when it was one of the 4 castles and urban centers of Pieria (the others being Platamonas, Petra and Kolindros).

Pydna was the site of one of the most important battles in Greek and world history, as it was there that the last Macedonian king Perseus was defeated by the supreme Aemilius Paulus in 168 BC. This defeat marked the definitive submission of Greece to the Romans.

The castle of Pydna (Kitros) is located on the west coast of Thermaikos gulf, near the village of Makrygialos in Pieria. It was founded in the 6th century. by Justinian at the site of the acropolis of ancient Pydna. The new castle was rectangular, had dimensions of 320 x 130m, and occupied an area of 50 acres. It received a new name, Kitros, like many other castles founded on the site of ancient cities. A large gate in the western enclosure, protected on the left and right by two rectangular towers, was the main gate of the castle.

Despite the centuries-old Greek history of the city, the tower that dominates the site is Frankish.

Platamonas Castle

In a place of incredible natural beauty, in the Southern part of Pieria, we find the imposing Castle of Platamonas.

The Castle of Platamonas is a point of reference among the characteristic monuments of Pieria and of the whole Greece, since its tower, which dominates next to the national road and the beach of Platamonas, is the most impressive castle tower that exists in Greece. Its location is highly strategic, since it controls the entrance to the Tempe valley and the passage between Northern and Southern Greece.

In the castle of Platamonas we find the 3 main characteristics of medieval fortresses: two distinct enclosures as well as the central tower. The outer walls of the castle are polygonal in shape. On the northeast side rises the majestic central tower with an octagonal shape, 16m high. and 2m thick. In the area of the castle there is also the church of Agia Paraskevi.

During the summers at Platamonas Castle, various events of the well-known Olympus Festival take place.

Macedonian Tombs – Korinos Tombs Site

At a distance of 8 km from Katerini in the area of Korinos, there are two large Macedonian Tombs of the 4th century BC.

The Macedonian Tombs date back to the 3rd century BC, consisting of an antechamber and a chamber with two burial beds. The total length of the tomb exceeds 20 m. The monument was already built during the Roman era. The facade of the monument is of the Doric style and is shaped with pesses, triglyphs, metopes and a pediment. In the chamber, in a corner arrangement, two pedestals were formed with marble, embossed fronts of beds. The interior walls were plastered with mortar and, especially those on the street, were decorated with an imitation of colorful orthomarbling. The marble face of one of the beds, as well as the marble double door of the chamber, were transferred in 1861 to the Louvre by L. Heuzey. In the traffic stream heading towards Athens is the Macedonian Tomb II. The Macedonian Tomb I at the “Toumbes” site of Korinos is open to the public.

Opening hours: Daily from 08:30am. until 4:00 p.m., except Saturdays.

Free entrance.

Archaeological Site of Agios Dimitrios – Thesi Spathes

A few kilometers southeast of the settlement, at the location “Spathes” or “Xerolakki“, an important cemetery of the Mycenaean Era (Late Bronze Age) was excavated. The cemetery is located on a steep slope of Ano Olympos, at an altitude of about 1000-1100 m. This particular location was considered important, as it was a control point for the passage from Macedonia to Thessaly through the Straits of Petra

Agios Dimitrios is a mountain village of Pieria and is located in the Straits of Petra, between Mount Olympus and Pieria. It is 35 kilometers from the city of Katerini. The central church is that of Agios Dimitrios. In particular, its location is on the eastern slopes of Titaros and southwest of the Straits of Petra, on the road Elassona – Katerinis. In the past, there was a monastery of Agios Dimitrios in this place, hence the name of the settlement. It has been known as a settlement since 1290.

Monasteries in Pieria

In the mountains of Pieria, you can meet landscapes of unique natural beauty, picturesque and traditional villages, but also equally important religious monuments and Monasteries. Below we list the most important of them, which are definitely worth visiting.

Dormition of the Virgin Kontariotissa

In the village of Kontariotissa is the church of the Assumption of the Virgin Kontariotissa. The temple has a special architectural style, Medieval architecture and dates from the beginning of the 11th century.

An Early Iron Age cemetery has been found in the same area. In the courtyard of the Temple, the Olympus Festival, holds events of Byzantine music.

The Old Monastery of Agios Dionysios Olympos

At a distance of 18 km from Litochoro and at an altitude of 900 m, the Old Monastery of Agios Dionysios of Olympus is built, in a natural hollow between two small streams. It can be accessed either from the forest road that leads to Prionia, or from the path that leads from Litochoro to Prionia.
The monastery was founded in the 16th century, near the cave where Agios Dionysios on Olympus practiced asceticism.

Holy Trinity of Old Vrontos

Built on the edge of a rock at a height of 420 m, it is a 14th century church. It is a small building that stands imposingly on the rock. Near Ag. Triada is also home to the magnificent post-Byzantine church of Ag. Nikolaos, central temple of Palaia Vrontos.
We reach the church shortly after the entrance gate of the Olympus National Park. Three excellent climbing paths to Olympus start from here.

Kanalon Monastery

Kanalon Monastery is located on the South-Eastern slope of Mount Olympus at an altitude of 820 m. It is located between Leptokarya and Karya. The name of the monastery is due to the natural environment, as 4 small rivers (canals) flowed near the Canal Monastery. It is definitely worth a visit to this very beautiful monastery, which is also located in an excellent natural location.