Skoutari ( el, Σκουτάρι) is a village and a

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...

of the municipality of

East Mani East Mani ( el, Ανατολική Μάνη - ''Anatolikí Máni'') is a municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Its seat of administration is the town Gytheio (before 2011 the small town Kotronas). The municipality covers the southeastern ...

. Before the 2011 local government reform it was a part of the municipality of

Gytheio Gytheio ( el, Γύθειο, ) or Gythio, also the ancient Gythium or Gytheion ( grc, Γύθειον), is a town on the eastern shore of the Mani Peninsula, and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government ...

, of which it was a municipal district. The 2011 census recorded 234 residents in the village and 293 residents in the community. The community of Skoutari covers an area of 11.667 km². According to local tradition it was founded by refugees from the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.

History

Ancient Town

In the

Mycenaean period Mycenaean Greece (or the Mycenaean civilization) was the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, spanning the period from approximately 1750 to 1050 BC.. It represents the first advanced and distinctively Greek civilization in mainland ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

, there was thought to be a town called Vorthona which is now submerged. In

Ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of Classical Antiquity, classical antiquity ( AD 600), th ...

, the town used to be called

Asine Asine (; grc, Ἀσίνη) was an ancient Greek city of ancient Argolis, located on the coast. It is mentioned by Homer in the Catalogue of Ships in the ''Iliad'' as one of the places subject to Diomedes, king of Argos. It is said to have bee ...

. The town was under

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

n control. In 218 BC, the inhabitants of Asine defeated the army of

Philip V of Macedon Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon ag ...

who was besieging the town. During the Roman period it belong to Sparta ever though most of the other towns in the area were part of the Union of Free Laconians.

Modern Town

The modern town of Skoutari was founded in 1453 AD by refugees from the namesake district of

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

who fled from the Ottomans during the Fall of Constantinople. While the rest of Greece fell to the Ottoman Turks,

Mani Mani may refer to: Geography * Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia * Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad * Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece * Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshi ...

remained free. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Skoutari became a haven for pirates which rivalled

Oitylo Oitylo ( el, Οίτυλο, pronounced Ítilo), known as "Βίτσουλο", pronounced Vitsoulo, in the native Maniot dialect, is a village and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is pa ...

. The Ottomans tried to conquer Mani in

1770 Events January– March * January 1 – The foundation of Fort George, Bombay is laid by Colonel Keating, principal engineer, on the site of the former Dongri Fort. * February 1 – Thomas Jefferson's home at Shadwell, Virg ...

and they laid siege to the tower of the Grigorakis clan which was one of the most powerful in Mani and whose base was Skoutari and they blew it up with gunpowder after a three-day siege. The Ottoman army was later defeated in the Battle of Vromopigada in the plain outside Skoutari and repelled from Mani. The Ottomans tried to capture Skoutari again in 1815 but they were defeated and driven back. In 1832, Greece was recognized as an independent state and Skoutari became part of it. During World War II, Greece was invaded by the Germans and Italians who captured Skoutari.

Recent History

Now Skoutari is a peaceful sea town with around 150 residents during summer. Skoutari was struck by a forest fire in the last days of July 2007, it did not consume as much of the area as the 2006 dangerous fires, several firefighters, helicopters and planes battled the fire for days and left some groves and forests in damages.

Geography

Skoutari was built on a hill around 50 metres above the sea level. Skoutari is linked by a road linking Cape Tenaro and

Gythio Gytheio ( el, Γύθειο, ) or Gythio, also the ancient Gythium or Gytheion ( grc, Γύθειον), is a town on the eastern shore of the Mani Peninsula, and a former municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local governme ...

encircling the eastern half of the peninsula. Farmlands are in the valleys, the mountains dominate most of the area and forests covers the valley areas especially around the village, the rest of the land are made up of rocks, bushes and grasslands. The Skoutari Bay lies directly to the east and are surrounded by bluffs, rocks and treacherous landscapes.

Nearest places

Kotronas East Mani ( el, Ανατολική Μάνη - ''Anatolikí Máni'') is a municipality in Laconia, Peloponnese, Greece. Its seat of administration is the town Gytheio (before 2011 the small town Kotronas). The municipality covers the southeastern p ...

, south * Kalyvia, east

Administrative division

The community of Knidi consists of five separate settlements: *

Parasyros Parasyros ( el, Παρασυρός) is a village of the municipality of East Mani. Before the 2011 local government reform it was a part of the municipality of Gytheio. Parasyros is part of the community of Skoutari. Parasyros is located 2 k ...

(population 59) *Skoutari (population 234) The aforementioned population figures are as of 2011.

Historical population

References

{{East Mani div Populated places in Laconia Populated places in the Mani Peninsula 1453 establishments in Europe Populated places established in the 1450s East Mani