Film info

Creator / Collector

Description
"Every day I walked four miles to the modern village of Mystras and one mile to the gate of the old town. The ruins were almost exclusively mine”, Steven Runciman wrote about the Byzantine Despotate of Mystras or Myzithras, which is situated on the slopes of Taygetos Mountain.

The film opens with views from the Peribleptos Monastery (14th century) in the Kato (Lower) city and ascends to the Ano (Upper) city where the lens wanders in the ruins on the mountain ridge. In the Kato city, Laskaris' house and Frangopoulos' mansion are preserved in good condition.

Then we watch the filmmaker as he ascends the arches that connected the houses, giving us views from the Monastery of Agia Sophia and the ruins of the medieval city.

In a high altitude stands the eerie castle of Villehardouin which was built in 1247 and is the place from where the story of Mystras begins. Beneath it is what was left of the medieval city.

The film closes with views of the Upper city, the lens stands for a while at the Monastery of Agia Sofia which was built in 1350 by Manuel Kantakouzenos and as we descend to the Palace complex, we see views from the wing of the Kantakouzenos (14th century) and from the wing of the Palaiologos (15th century)

Coordinates

Film Information

Holder
Bonar, Andrew Graham

Quality
HD (1440x1080)

Sound
No

Color
Yes

Duration (seconds)
97

Format
8mm