Kastania - 3,000 feet above water; Panayia Yiatrisa – 5,000 feet above water

History –

Kastania – Lagakos and Arfanis

Venice – Greeks had  lived there for years and then Venetzanakis family emigrated to Laconia (at that time was Laconicis – divided into 2 states) and  was occuppied by Turks and so these people, the Venetzanakis family, went to Kastania to hide from Turks. 

In Kastania there was a man by the name of Kiriakoulis Eliafendis age 65 and his wife age 55.  He had no children and felt disgraced because of this.  One day, he and his wife found an Ikona near where Panayia Yiatrisa is today.  Because it was a very windy day they moved it near a large rock and went home.    The next day when they went to see the Ikona again, they found it where the monastary is now.  So Eliafentis went and built a small chapel on that spot and then within a year he and his wife had a son.  From this son came the family of Eliafendis. 

When the Venetzanakis family went to Kastania, they built 3 castles (pirgos).  But the Eliafendis were their before the Venetzanakis family came.  Turks did get to Kastania but didn’t stay because it was too high and too remote. 

From Kuriakoulis Eliafendis  there were 9 branches.

1908 rebuilt Panayia Yiatrisa. 

Man died and wife married Grigorakis.

My Nono’s (George Arfanis) great-grandfather had 5 children; two sons George and Elias, and three daughter Bonaros, Mavrothou, Kapsalina