A quiet corner of the internet brings memory, landscape and village life together with remarkable warmth, offering Laconians everywhere a window into the mountain rhythms and shared heritage of Párnonas.
From time to time, a corner of the internet offers something unexpectedly rich, a place where memory, landscape, and village life gather with real warmth. One such corner is the Facebook page “O Párnonas ke ta Choriá Tou”, meaning “Parnonas and Its Villages” (hosted at facebook.com/Mariskevis). Though rooted in the Arcadian village of Mari and guided largely by Sotiris Skevis, president of the local cultural association, its reach extends far beyond the mountain itself. For Laconians and their descendants scattered across the world, the page offers a vivid introduction to a neighbouring region whose history, nature, and rural rhythms so often echo our own.
Parnonas, the long ridge that stradles Arcadia and Laconia, has shaped the character and fortunes of communities on both sides. Its villages, built of stone, set on terraces and surrounded by forests of fir, pine, chestnut and oak, feel instantly familiar to anyone with roots in the Laconian countryside. Life here has always followed patterns that Laconians recognise: seasonal work, respect for the land, close ties with animals and fields, and a quiet but enduring sense of community.
What the Page Brings to Life
The Facebook page captures these threads with affection and great attention to detail. Through the lens of Sotiris Skevis, readers encounter Mari under a luminous full moon, olive trees that have stood for more than a thousand years, forgotten forest paths linking one village to the next and glimpses of everyday life in Karitsa, Kosmas, Agios Petros and other mountain villages. The posts do not seek to impress with polish or spectacle. Instead, they feel like a local friend guiding you to the corners that matter, the light that falls just so across a winter field, the church steeple half hidden among branches, the bend in the path that leads to childhood memories.
For Laconians living far from the homeland, the page has a particular charm. Its images and small stories evoke a world that feels at once familiar and new. The stone houses, the narrow lanes and the mountain monasteries echo the landscapes many of us grew up with, while the neighbouring villages of Parnonas add a fresh perspective. For the younger generations abroad, who may know Laconia mainly through family tales or brief visits, the page provides a gentle doorway into the wider cultural and geographical landscape of our region.
Even those who live permanently in Laconia may find the page unexpectedly rewarding. It serves as a reminder that the Peloponnese contains not only its famous ancient sites and beaches but also a quieter wealth. These include centuries old olive groves, old roads shaped by the feet of shepherds and travellers, and small settlements where time seems to pause. What emerges is not a picture of tourism but the more intimate story of a landscape lived in, tended and remembered.
In an age that often reduces heritage to brief slogans and hurried impressions, “O Párnonas ke ta Choriá Tou” offers a slower and more sincere experience. It acts as a kind of digital kafenio where one can pause, reflect and recognise the ties that bind village communities across time and geography. For Laconians and their families whether in Karitsa, Adelaide, Melbourne or anywhere further afield the page is well worth a visit. It reminds us that the mountains and villages of our wider region still speak clearly to those willing to listen.
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