KAVVALOS

East Mani is separated from the West by a part of Taygetos, which reaches Tainaro and is called “The Arm Of Mani” These two areas communicate via the gorges. One of them leads from Areopoli, which is the capital of western Mani, to Kolokinthio Municipality in east Mani. In between, extends Taygetos. Before arriving at Asini, the capital of Kolokinthio Municipality, in the entrance of the valley, we come across the village Kavvalos, which is inhabited by 60 families. I don’t exactly know the reasons why the residents moved, during the medieval times, from the ancient place to a higher area. The ruins from that dwelling are still present. Maybe, because of the water, which comes from the mountainside and sweeps along several materials that contribute to the fertility of the ground and render it suitable for the cultivation of wheat and barley. This procedure is done in a natural way, because nature has created in the fields the so-called “vithistra” (sinking spots) where the water sinks. Maybe, the water sinks in a gorge or an underground cave and flows in Diro, south of Areopoli. It must be taken into consideration that Laconia is full of tunnels and gaps in the ground, while the surface is lying in the air.

The village Kavvalos was dwelled by Greeks, which is proven by an inscription, I found there that referred to someone called Damosthenis. The letters of the inscription are barely distinguishable, because the square stone on which it was written, who knows how many years ago, was adopted by an ancient building and then it was swept by a current to another place, which is called Filiatri, where there are deep wells, where from the residents take water. I suppose the ancient name of the village was Filiatri and not Kavvalos. The present inhabitants maintained the ancient name and due to this natural need for water they call the wells Filiatri. In the place of Kavvalos, coins and rings were found; one of them has a carved fish on top.

Consequently, we come to the conclusion that during the ancient times, Greeks lived in the area, but either due to the flood or due to other reasons, they moved higher and later they came back to the ancient place, where they built their houses again. Some of them even built their houses on the ruins.

Athanasios Petridis-Head of Areopoli School(1870).