Κάμπος, Δυτική Μάνη, Μεσσηνία.
Kampos, West Mani, Messenia –
Greece.
Tower-house of Alexandros
Koumoundouros.
The towers of Mani are military hallmarks
of a glorious era. The first fortification towers appear in the 13th century
and they are an expression of the fighting spirit of the region. The main
reason for the imperative need of fortifying with a tower was the segregation
of Mani society into clans or families. The building of the family tower was
the great dream and final goal of the men of Mani and the common obligation of
all the male members of the clan. The tower was the bastion of freedom but also
the fort of the warring parties in the terrible Mani feuds.
The Mani
region has a unique set of characteristics. It is a place that combines the
beauty of the landscape with the simplicity and warmth of the people who
inhabit it. Despite the dominance of the stone buildings it is a place that
fascinates visitors. Until recent years Mani was a difficult place to reach and
was characterised by the tower houses that the people built for refuge in times
of trouble. The main feature that strikes first time visitors is the simple but
rigid architecture of the buildings built mainly of stone. The imposing
castles, fortified chateaus and mansions and cobbled streets make the Mani
virtually an "open museum".
The tower house of Koumoundourou, in the village
of Kampos, was built in
the 1830’s. It has two floors and a semicircular protrusion and its reputation
is due mainly to the fact that Alexander Koumoundouros (1815 - 1883) was
for many years Prime Minister of Greece during the post Greek revolution era.
[ FujiFilm
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© 2013
Jordan Kevrekidis
Ελεωνόρα Ζουγανέλη 
