Maini Castle

The Maini Castle, or what remains of it, is less a fortress and more the ghost of a Byzantine town, perched on a rocky peninsula that juts into the sheltered bay of Mezapos, north of Cape Cavo Grosso. The peninsula is said to resemble a frying pan, which gives the site its name. The settlement was likely fortified in the 6th century, only to be abandoned a hundred years later. Today, the visitor finds traces of houses, cisterns and churches, though little rises above foundation level, save for stretches of wall that crown the cliffs. Its dramatic position has led some to identify it as the fabled Grande Magne, but the evidence points to a late antique or early Byzantine origin; the churches follow a basilical plan, a style rarely used after the 700s. The site is defensible enough, yet it cannot command the vast Mani peninsula around it, and its condition is rather poor.