The Main Street

The main street is no more than a narrow cobbled alley (see plate 15). It runs from the main portal of the west wall to the square in front of the church of Christos Elkomenos, the largest church of the lower town. Since the bell tower of this church is such a conspicuous structure, it can serve as a landmark for orientation from every part of the town. This makes it convenient to describe all tours as starting from this point, for it is always possible to find the way back to the campanile to begin another tour.

From the square at the church of Christos Elkomenos the main street continues on to an exit gate in the east wall. The street remains more or less level through its entire length of about 500 meters.
The two divisions of the main street are completely different in character. The houses up to the square are rather narrow, and relatively tall. The difference between the small street and the tall buildings heightens the sense of narrowness.

However, the second half of the street, beyond the square, appears spacious, and contrasts strikingly with the first part.

All of the old houses in the western part of the main street have the same design: a barrel vault on the ground floor, easily visible through the front door or the adjoining window. The vault of the ground floor ceiling shows on the externals facade as a round arch reaching over both the front door and window. The form of this arch serves as an articulating element, appearing over and over again on both sides of the street. The tall narrow barrelvaulted first floor served as the workshops and businesses of artisans and merchants. The living quarters were in the upper stories. Most of the houses are two story structures. Some of the buildings on the main street date from after the liberation of Monemvasia in 1821. They are wider, have a single large room on the ground floor, and have typical neoclassical decorative tiles on the eaves.

That part of the main street to the east of the square has walls on either side. Here the building sites are larger than they are to the west of the square; the houses are freestanding and have gardens.

Most of the time the main street, like the rest of Monemvasia stands empty and deserted. The artisans and merchants have all moved away. In their places boutiques, picture galleries, restaurants, cafes, ouzo-bars, and souvenir shops were installed in the old magazines and vaults. Near the church square several restaurants and bars crowd their chairs and tables on the street. A gnarled old vine provides comfortable shade in the summer. It is worthwhile to browse in the shops, and while buying, eating, or drinking in the buildings along the main street, to study the architecture and the different ways of construction. This way it is possible to get an impression of these specific houses that tourists cannot get of Monemvasia's private homes. In some of the restaurants and cafes interesting engravings, photographies, and paintings are to be seen.