Exo Nyfi, Eastern Inner Mani, is not a village but a number of settlements – mesa Hora (the older one), Exo Nyfi, Atsoupi, Vigla, Alypa (with a natural wonderful port), Gialos, and Kournos – some houses close to the spring, the Convent of Virgin Mary up the mountain!
Here, close to Krounos, it is said that there was the ancient town Aigila, today known as Kionia or ΤRoyal StonesΥ mentioned by Pafsanias (Messiniaka IV 17, 7). The ruins of the ancient temple, the pillars, prove the existence of the sanctum, discovered on 1843 by the archeological expedition of Phillipe Le Bas. This sanctum was studied and then presented by the archeologist Lida Moschou – Tsiomi and the architect P. N. Moschos. The research continues, and as the two scientists says, these were two Dorian Temples (period of Octavianos August or Tiverios – BΥ part of the 2ed century B.C.).
In the area, there are many monuments – fortresses, buildings, cemeteries, steles, status bases, parts, limbs from sculptures, water tanks, representations on the rocks, aqueduct, quarry, etc. All these were well known by the German-Juices illicit dealers in antiquities, who, some months ago, were arrested Τin place at Kiona.
Nyfi, -Municipal Department of the eastern Mani Municipality – it is said that it took its name thanks to the great number of trees and bushes which surrounds it (olive trees, oak-trees, and others), like the flowers around the bride (Nyfi = bride in Greek). All the settlements around Nyfi keep this local color: the owners and the heirs attend and maintain with respect and love the towers and tower-houses. The visitor can visit all these tower-villages / eagle-villages perched on the mountainside of Sagia of Taygetos Mountain. The tower of Ventikou, Bourikou – Lekakou, etc. Those families dominated the region and there were the protagonists of the family squabbles and Vendetta.
The visitor can enjoy the two seashores of Nyfi, Gialos and Alipa. At the seaside of Gialos, a new traditional hotel is under construction (which belongs to D. Manolakos) so the tourists will have the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful beach. At Alipa, a fantastic small and natural port, where John Kassavetis shoot the film ΤTempestΥ with famous actors during the Τ80 decade. The nautical tradition of the village is important. There was a connecting line from this port to Piraeus, as that time there was not any other road and access to Mani (Birakou, Glezakou, and other families)
Nyfi and Nifiates are known for the anecdotes, satires and the legends. These clever people invented stories α themselves!
I will make reference to the churches of the village: apart the Monastery of Virgin Maria at Kourno (Byzantine monument), where there is a fair on 15th August, there are some other old and recent churches: Ai-Giorgis, Ai-Lias, Agia-Kyriaki, Agia katerini, Agia Barbara, Agios Sostis, Agios Petros, and the new ones: Sotiras at Gialo, Ai-Dimitris, and others.
In our days, at Exo Nyfi there are roads with cement and cobbled roads which connect the settlements. Most of them were constructed when Kyriakos Hristodoulakis was the President of the ancient Community. The main problem is always the water deficiency and the water-supply. We wish this problem to be solved soon.
There are two wonderful tower-houses which belong to our compatriots: one belongs to the Admiral Ioanni Koufogianni, President of the Pan-Hellenic Club of Maniates ΤSolidarityΥ (in Athens) and now Director of the political bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs G. Papandreou. The other belongs to Gianni Mavroidakou, professor of philology, who lives in Paris with his French wife. There he owns the famous edition house and bookshop ΤDESMOSΥ for 20 years! There is a point of reference for the Greek residents in France and the friend of Greece too.
- Dimakogiannis