On the first Sunday of June each year, an elaborate festival is held in Stemnitsa village, located in Central Peloponnese. This celebration pays tribute to the village’s historical significance, as it briefly served as the capital of Greece. The festivities feature traditional dances, songs, and an abundance of delectable sweets. Additionally, a special religious ceremony is held at the cloister of Zoodohos Pigi. This is followed by a tour of the miraculous icon of the Virgin with a view of the springs of Erasinos river.
The cloister of Zoodohos Pigi, accessible through a cobblestone path dating back to the 15th century, holds great historical importance. It was here that the inaugural session of the Peloponnesian Senate took place in 1821 (The beginning of the war of independence from the Ottomans).
A little further down, in the green landscape, family taverns, full of life and delicious fragrances invite you to taste the traditional local delicacies, completing your beautiful visit to the fairytale part of the Argolic land. While the local cuisine may not offer a wide range of options, it captivates visitors with its flavorful meats, dairy products, and handmade pasta varieties such as hilopites, lasagna, and trahana.
Among the classic dishes available, one can indulge in pork with nuts and skordalia, lamb with celery and aromatic herbs, pita with trahana, alaniaris kokoras served with local hilopites, river trout, and lamb chops, among other local meat selections. These meats are prepared either through oven-cooking or boiling methods. Complementing the savory offerings are the handmade pasta options like trahana, hilopites, lasagna, kritharaki, as well as dairy products, spoon sweets, and honey derived from local fir trees.
