In the heart of Mount Mainalo, at an elevation of 1,200 meters and amid a lush green setting, lies the eagles nest of the Kolokotronis clan, the now deserted Limbovisi. Theodoros Kolokotronis hailed from this village, as his family lived there for 12 generations.
In mountainous Arcadia, above the gorges of Mainalo and at an altitude of 1,200 m lies Limbovisi, a small village uninhabited since 1880 that transports visitors into history. Limbovisi, together with the neighboring villages Arkoudorema, Piana, Chrysovitsi, Alonistaina, etc., is closely linked with the Revolution of 1821 and its preparation.
Though deserted today, Limbovisi (30 km from Tripoli) attracts many visitors. The reason? Theodoros Kolokotronis came from this village, as his family lived here for twelve generations. Come here to see the restored Kolokotronis family house - museum, and to take a stroll through the stone-built village with its beautiful landscape in the serenity of nature.
Limbovisi, Arcadia: The village of the Kolokotronis family
Twelve generations of Kolokotronis grew up in this village from the moment the progenitor Triantafyllakos Tserginis, persecuted by the Turks, settled in these parts around 1536. The existence of the settlement is attested already from the Venetian rule and indeed with quite a number of residents, close to 500. Inaccessible and isolated as it was, however, the village was abandoned by its inhabitants after the Revolution of 1821, who settled in Katsimbali.
The Kolokotronis family house in Limbovisi was located at a central point of the village near the church of St John. According to historical information, the house was destroyed in 1770-71, but it was rebuilt by Theodoros’s father, Kostantis Kolokotronis. The Old Man of the Morea stayed here from time to time both before and after the Revolution for the village’s good climate, as mentioned, and for sentimental reasons.
Today, the visitor can see in Limbovisi the restored house, which functions as a museum of the Kolokotronis family and the Greek War of Independence, full of artefacts. Its reconstruction is the result of a donation by Panagiotis Angelopoulos.
In the village the church of St John the Baptist has also been restored with the historic bell from 1831. The stone-built square of the village, where there are springs, has been preserved, while a mountain walking route has been opened through the Kolokotronis hideouts. On weekends a traditional café operates in Limbovisi that bears the village’s name. Enjoy your coffee or your tsipouro there before you take the road to the neighboring villages, such as the also abandoned Arkoudorema, where the Kolokotronis had their hideouts, and Chrysovitsi where Theodoros Kolokotronis had his private office.
