Housed in a restored tower, this museum displays exquisite Byzantine pieces from Mani churches. These include a 12th-century marble templon (chancel screen) from the Church of Agios Ioannis in Mina, near Pyrgos Dirou. Upstairs is a clutch of well-preserved icons spanning five centuries. Take the westbound road from the southwest corner of the main square.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Mystras
28.24 MILES
Spread over a steep mountainside and surrounded by verdant olive and orange trees, this former Byzantine capital and fortified city is the single most…
Ancient Sparta
28.83 MILES
Though few buildings are standing that date back to the height of Sparta's greatness, it's an atmospheric stroll around this hillside, where the acropolis…
King Leonidas Statue
28.69 MILES
The King Leonidas statue stands belligerently in front of a football stadium. When the Persians attacked at Thermopylae and told the Spartans and their…
Nearby The Mani attractions
1. Church of Agios Ioannis
0.01 MILES
The Church of Agios Ioannis, built by the Mavromichalis family on a tiny square west of the main square, contains a series of well-preserved frescoes…
2. Church of Taxiarches
0.07 MILES
On the southern side of Plateia 17 Martiou is this 18th-century church. Its picturesque five-storey bell tower marks it as the most important of Areopoli…
3. Diros Caves
1.82 MILES
These extraordinary flooded caves, inhabited since Neolithic times, lie 11km south of Areopoli and are signposted near the village of Pyrgos Dirou. The…
4. Tigani
8.41 MILES
This spectacular peninsula juts out of the Mani coast like an upside-down saucepan and, indeed, its Greek name means 'frying pan'. The high point of…
5. Folkloric Museum
12.22 MILES
It may be compact, but this museum does a wonderful job of bringing to life the past residents of Gythio and the surrounding Mani. Themed rooms exhibit…
6. Shadow Theatre Museum
12.22 MILES
This beautiful little studio-museum-shop is run by personable local artist Giorgos Hassanakos. The small upstairs gallery pays homage to traditional…
7. Marathonisi Islet
12.41 MILES
According to mythology, tranquil, pine-shaded Marathonisi, connected to Gythio by a thin causeway, is ancient Cranae, where Paris (prince of Troy) and…
8. Kalogria
14.46 MILES
Pretty sandy beach north of the main beach in Stoupa. The water is beautiful and clear; sunbeds clog up the shore in summer.