The Ministry of Culture proceeds with the promotion of the archaeological site of Peristeria, in Messinia. The work includes interventions to fix the Mycenaean vaulted tombs and the architectural remains, as well as improving the infrastructure for visitor services and the maintenance of the vaulted tombs by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messinia.

The hill of Peristeria is located 8 km from Kyparissia. It was the richest settlement centre of the Western Peloponnese during the early Mycenaean period. It was inhabited until the end of the Mycenaean period (1680-1180 BC) and dominated Messinia before the development of the Palace of Nestor. In addition to the Mycenaean period, settlement remains of the early Roman period of Nero’s era (54-68 AD) have been identified.

The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni said: “Peristeria is an important archaeological site – a testimony to the history and prehistory of Messinia. The restoration and promotion of the Mycenaean vaulted tombs, the main archaeological remains of the site, is a key priority of the intervention, in order to solve the aesthetic and structural problems, while improving the services provided to visitors to the site. The project includes a study of the restoration of the burial monuments, a proposal for the siting of the supporting buildings, a proposal for the layout of the visitor route and the enhancement of the three burial monuments. The aim of the interventions is to protect the remains and improve their visibility where they become indistinguishable. By upgrading the entrance and the infrastructure of the archaeological site, these largely unknown Mycenaean monuments dynamically introduce the archaeological site of Peristeria into the cultural map of Messinia“.

The current state of the monuments, in terms of their pathology, differs for each monument in the area. In vaulted tomb 1, the most important problem is the inflow of rainwater into the interior of the burial chamber. Vaulted Tomb 2 was in a dangerous condition from the time of its removal and the masonry of the burial chamber remains in a critical condition. Vault 3 has similar problems to Vault 2, and the lack of legibility is significant.

With regard to infrastructure in the archaeological site, the approved entrance and parking facilities are located south of the provincial road in order to enlarge the archaeological site. The construction of two independent buildings is planned. Building A will house the ticket office and the sales area and Building B will house the information point and sanitary facilities. Between the buildings there will be a courtyard covered by a pergola. The courtyard serves as an entrance and public gathering area.

As far as the visiting routes are concerned, the main landscaped route, common for pedestrians and disabled people, starts from the entrance point and ends at the vaulted tomb 1. This is followed by a route shaped by ramps and platforms with specifications for disabled access. The platforms from which the view of the individual antiquities is ensured occupy a larger area and are equipped with seating benches. The secondary visit route has a freer layout and enables visitors to walk around to the west of burial monuments 2 and 3.

Within the archaeological site, the existing natural paths are preserved, giving the possibility of an alternative tour and ascent to the top of the hill. At most of the landscaped platforms of the paths and, in particular, at the viewpoints of the individual antiquities, wooden seating, signs with information material and small rubbish bins are placed. The electromechanical installations for the project include water supply, drainage, heating and cooling, electricity, lightning protection and active fire protection.