ERMIONI
Ermioni is built on the eastern hillside of Prona and it is notable for its picturesque and bright island colors that were created by the small lovely ports (Mandraki), the characteristic cobblestone streets, the whitewashed houses and the blue shutters, but above all it is especially known for its pomegranates and fish. Its Cathedral Church is the Taxiarches, while in the adjacent building the 3th National Assembly of Modern Greece took place. The Cathedral, the Old Community Office, the Barrack and Kapodistiran School are all historic buildings, not only because they are built over the ancient wall of the 4th century but also because they are examples of traditional architecture. In the protruded peninsula of Bistri one can see the ruins of the ancient city. The ancient city of Ermioni was founded by Dryopes, who were displaced from central Greece, after the arrival of the first Greek tribes. After the ‘’descent of the Dorians’’, the later conquered the city. As Pausanias mentions the Argives ruled Ermioni without war and the city Ermioni was founded by Ermionas, the grandson of the king of Argos Foroneas and it was named after him.
The many old residents, Dryopes, resorted and settled in the city of Halieis, a seaport of Ermioni, as well as Massitas. Some years later, it became part of the Achaean Confederation, until the Roman conquest in 146 BC. Ermioni was an important city of antiquity because, beyond its military and naval power, it was renowned for a unique kind of sea-snail, which produced porfyra, a purple red dye, which was used by kings, among them by Alexander the Great, as a dye for their royal robes. During the Roman era the city boomed and the aqueduct was perfected and provided water throughout the city. Pausanias describes with admiration the rich temples, festivals, musicians and swimming competitions that game Ermioni splendor. Ermioni remained an important settlement in the following years and it has to resent remarkable examples of the Byzantine sovereignty and development. In the southeastern side of the current City Hall a large Christian three-aisled basilica church with great mosaics has been discovered. The town was fortified with walls that were constructed over the remains of ancient buildings during the Frankish invasion and got the name ‘’Castri’’. Then, the city was conquered by the Venetians, then by the people of Florence, and then by the Venetians once again. After a strong resistance, the city fell into the hands of Ottomans in 1537 AD. Ermioni finally managed to survive during all these years thanks to its ships and it participated with a remarkable number of sailors in many battles during the Greek rebellion.