Trip to Greece to discover UNESCO sites

I admit that mine holiday in Greece it dates back to 1998, so things have changed as I remember them but if there is one thing that cannot have changed over the years it is the beauty of the country’s historical and cultural sites.

In fact, Greece includes within its territory 17 sites included in the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. With these numbers (impressive for a relatively small country) Greece ranks 7th in Europe and 13th in the world for the number of World Heritage Sites hosted on the national territory.

Among the most famous UNESCO sites in Greece are the Acropolis of Athens (1987), one of the largest and most well-preserved examples of ancient Hellenic architecture in the world and perhaps one of the most beautiful and interesting historical sites I have ever walked on.
I remember the Cartiatides and the view of Athens from up there, I remember that with my imagination I imagined politicians and philosophers talking about democracy and politics or philosophizing about life and being, all topics that a classical high school student with a passion for philosophy and story could not fail to appreciate.
But beyond the Acropolis of Athens, the archaeological sites of Delphi (1987) and di Epidaurus (1988). The first, Delphi, extends on the slopes of Mount Parnassus and, in ancient times, was the center of the Greek world, the seat of the most important and venerated oracle of the god Apollo. The temple dedicated to the Delphic Apollo, the famous theater and the stadium of the Pythian games are part of the archaeological site. The second, Epidaurus, is a small city in Argolis, famous for its sanctuary dedicated to Asclepius, god of healing, and for its theatre, still today a place of performances and events.

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As we all know, Greece has an ancient and complex history, which has left tangible signs of its phases throughout the country. Interesting from a historical and archaeological point of view are the Temple of Apollo Epicurus in Bassae (1986), built in one of the plains on Mount Kotilio, at a height of 1,130 m above sea level; Olympiad (1989), an ancient Greek city that went down in history for having created the famous Olympics dedicated to Zeus; Mystras (1989), fortified city located in the southern Peloponnese; The Meteors (1988), an important center of the Orthodox church, but also a famous tourist destination due to its beauty due to the presence of numerous monasteries built overlooking natural rock towers; The Pythagorean, an ancient fortified port located on the island of Samos, and known in ancient times as Tigani and the Heraion of Samos, place Of cult dedicated to the Greek goddess Hera and located, in fact, on the island of Samos (both declared UNESCO sites in 1992) and the archaeological complex of Vergina (1996), one of the largest parks archaeological of Greece, developed on the slopes of the Pieria mountains, presents numerous monuments linked to Greek history and mythology.

The medieval city of Rodi (1988); the early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki (1988); the monasteries of Daphne, Ossios Loukas (1990), the latter from the Byzantine era located on the island of Chios; The Monte Athos (1988) and the Delos Island (1990), all UNESCO sites worthy of a visit.

Finally, among the latest monuments and places in Greece to become part of the list of World Heritage Sites protected by UNESCO are the archaeological site of Mycenae e Tirinto (1999), which represents one of the most important testimonies of Mycenaean civilisation; The historic center of Chorá with the Monastery of St. John “the theologian” and the Cave of the Apocalypse to Patmos (1999), and the Corfu old town (2007), one of the most fascinating jewels of modern Greece, and an example of ancient Byzantine and Venetian art that fascinates with its alternation of intimate streets and wide panoramic views.

Greece is not just islands and the sea, which are nevertheless splendid and unique, but it is a lot of history and art. I consider Greece with North Africa the parents of our history which, especially as a Sicilian, I cannot help but consider it as the mother of my culture and my tradition in which Arab and Greek roots have mixed, giving life to languages, arts and ways of thinking which make my homeland (and southern Italy in general) an excellent introduction to the Greek world.