The Lady of the Messinian Bay ... Kalamata of the Kalamatianos dance and of the silk scarf, Kalamata of the tasty black olives, of the ripe figs, of the famous "pasteli"(a sweet made of honey and sesame seeds). The Messinian capital, on the one side is being surrounded by the deep blue Messinian bay, and on the other side by the mountain Kalathi. The village Kato Verga, is built to the western side of the mountain as a "balcony overlooking the Messinian bay". In the days of Homer, kalamata was called Pharae and later received its present name from an icon depicting the Virgin Mary with very beautiful eyes - Kalo mata (beautiful eyes) - which was found in the Byzantine Chapel in the North Wing of the Castle of Kalamata. During the Byzantine years, Kalamata was an important center of Medieval civilization, whilst it was from Kalamata that the victorious Greek Revolution of 1821 started in the small church of Holy Apostles, which is present up to today, at the center of the old market and which was built in the year 1150. Above the city dominates the castle which was built in 1028 by William Villherdouine. 

Links about Kalamata