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Messenia or Messinia is a regional unit in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese, Kalamata being its largest city.
Messenia is mentioned in the oldest work of European literature, the Iliad. The name undoubtedly goes back to at least the Bronze Age, but its origins are lost in mythology. The region was one of the largest conquered and enslaved by ancient Sparta.
Messenia became part of independent Greece due to the Greek War of Independence (1821-1832). The famous naval Battle of Navarino, near present-day Pylos in 1827, was a decisive victory for Greece and its allies.
Gastronomy
Messinia has always enchanted gourmet travellers with its numberless unique products: “Kalamata” olives and olive oil from the famous Koroneiki olive tree variety; honey, raisins, citrus fruit, figs, and prickly pears; unique cheeses, preserved meats (singlino); the herbs of Mount Taygetos, and its famous lalangia.
More recently, restaurateurs and producers gave up their famous Mani vendettas to band together in the great Gastronomic Community of Kalamata. This puts a new arrow in the quiver of tourist development, making the region a beautiful touristic and gastronomic destination.
