STOUPA/LEFKTRON-Archaeology and archaeological landscape through the centuries
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How has the landscape of Stoupa and ancient Leuctrum evolved over time? What archaeological evidence sheds light on the region's history, and what can it reveal about the enduring relationship between people and place?
Archaeologist and art historian Dr Sofia Germanidou, whose long-standing and wide-ranging research has focused on Mani, will present a lecture dedicated to the history and archaeology of the area. Through monuments, archaeological discoveries, and the unique cultural landscape of Western Mani, she will guide the audience on a journey from antiquity to the present day.
How is a landscape connected to the archaeology of a place?
How does the landscape preserve traces of human presence through the centuries?
And how does this relationship ultimately shape history?
From the ancient settlement of Lefctrum and the small Byzantine "matchbox" church, to the Castle of Villehardouin, the mountains associated with the Slavs, the traditional mánganoi (wooden flax-processing mechanisms) once operating along the coastline, and the lignite mine linked to Nikos Kazantzakis and George Zorbas, alongside the presence of Galatea Kazantzakis and Angelos Sikelianos, Dr. Germanidou will lead the audience through a fascinating exploration where natural landscape, history, and human activity are intricately intertwined. The lecture offers an accessible, engaging, and insightful perspective on the region's rich past.
The event is organised on the initiative of Agesilaos I. Theodorakeas, member of the NARTURA Society for Art & Nature, who will also serve as moderator.
The lecture will be accompanied by a slideshow featuring explanatory texts in English, allowing the many English-speaking residents and visitors of Stoupa and the wider Western Mani region to fully enjoy the presentation.
The evening will also include a small interactive exhibition of traditional agricultural tools, featuring the renowned mánganos. The exhibits are kindly provided by the Platsa Folklore Museum, especially for this event.
In addition, archival photographs from the Society's collection will showcase historical views of Stoupa, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the area's transformation through time.
Saturday, 25th July 2026
9:00 p.m.
Nikos Kazantzakis Cultural Centre, Stoupa
Free admission
The event is part of the Municipality of Western Mani Cultural Summer 2026 programme and is organised by the NARTURA Society for Art & Nature.
We look forward to welcoming you to an evening dedicated to the history, archaeology, and enduring identity of our region.
Attached: the event poster and the engraving used as its background image.
Note: The background of the event poster features a discreetly colour-enhanced detail from the historic engraving below. The selected section depicts the hill crowned by its fortification, one of the very few known historical representations of the landscape of the area that survive today.
1834
View of the Valley of Leuctrum with Cape Tainaron
Original title: Leuctra et Cap Ténare
Publication: Otto Magnus von Stackelberg, La Grèce. Vues pittoresques et topographiques, Paris, Chez I. F. D'Ostervald, 1834.
Location: Leuctrum, Peloponnese, Greece
Subject: Landscape, Natural Environment
Collection: Gennadius Library, American School of Classical Studies at Athens