"Bringing together the community that we grew up in, thousands of miles apart."

MY SWEET VILLAGE !

Vassaras is the most scenic village of Laconia, which stands proudly at the foot of the hillock of Holy Trinity, and is like a little oasis in the midst of small hills of the range of Parnonas. It lies in a northeasterly direction from Sparta, at a distance of approximately twenty-five kilometers, and its altitude is 690 meters above sea level. It borders with the town of Verroia, which is also the vacation resort spot for the people of Vassaras during the summer months. A little further to the east is found the Monastery of the Holy Unmercenaries, whose history is closely connected with Vassaras, as well as with Verroia, since ancient times.

A little higher up, lies the town of Tsintzina or Polydroso and all around are Chrysafa, Theologos, Kalyvia, and Sellasia, which is the capital of the municipality, and also Vresthena. The river Oinous or Kelefina is used as the outer limit of Vassaras on the west side, and from there the borders move northward and reach to Arkoudia. Then the line turns right at Pyrgakia and moves toward St. Basil, Fterolaka, and Koutsouro and reaches the backside of Kamari. Vassaras, and in the distance, the main road Sparta to Tripoli is seen.They say that Vathaki, at one time, belonged to Vassaras up to the Crossroads, but the Vassarians gifted it to the people of Vrestheni, as a reward for killing a Turk. From there the borders go upward toward Astrapolaka, then to Goupata and reach Koromelia, advance to Dipsa, and then to Marmara and descend to Platyrrema or the Prasiotic road, as it is usually called. From there they go on to ascend to the field of Varvatos and make a beeline for, and reach, the Deep of Kakouros. Then the borders go to the ridge called Mouria, and to its sister ridge of Gkogkena and from there immediately to the ridge of Damalotes. Afterwards, they go straight to the Veletza depression all the way to Lower Ziampoka and reach the Stravokoleiko field at Bozogres and to the Koronios gully. Continuing on they reach the seam of Zacharia, and then the Mavrospelia across the river on the northwestern side at Agrilia. Then the go toward the Kazeiko corral, to Arnorache, to Prophet Elias, to Kokkoretsa, the go by the Galanaika houses, descend to Paliopanagia, and from there to Kelefina or Oinous river, which they follow up, as we have described above at the beginning of the account.

A scenic view of our snowy villageIt is worth mentioning that Mavrila belonged to Kokkores of Mystra and the Vassarians bought it in 1850, for the price of 8,500 drachmas. And Potamia, which was a small village, just as Ktetorisa or Chtorisa was, belonged to the people of Chrysafa, who also had an olive press. How true it is that at Archaia there was a coin mint, we are not able to verify.