July 23, 1821. Monemvasia becomes the first fortified city of the Peloponnese that falls into the hands of the Greeks.
Deeply desperate and starvating, the few remaining Turks – 756 out of about 4,000 when the siege began four months earlier – capitulate to Ypsilantis’ envoy Alexandros Katakouzinos, agree to hand over the castle against promise of safe passage and transport by boat to the coasts of Asia Minor. Unlike many other cases, the agreement was kept. The news of the liberation of a seemingly deceitful castle, such as Monemvasia, boosted the morale of the Greek revolutionaries everywhere and encouraged them to continue the struggle for the occupation of other strongholds.
Historic monasteries that played an important role during the Revolution.
After a stop in historic Gythio, which was a key port in the Revolution, the route ends in Areopolis, the special homeland and administrative seat of the powerful Mavromichalis family, who greatly contributed to the struggle for independence.