The Holy Apostles
Where the Greek revolution was proclaimed in 1821.
**A specific variety with a protected designation of origin — not just a brand name.** ✅ **What it is**: the **Kalamata olive** is a particular cultivar (not a preparation): an **elongated fruit with a pointed end**, **dark purple to black**, with thicker flesh and a relatively smaller stone than other varieties. ✅ **The preparation**: it is not lye-cured like commercial green olives but **brined for months** and then usually kept in **vinegar or oil** — hence its distinctive sharp taste. ✅ **The legal protection**: **«Ελιά Καλαμάτας» carries a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)** in the EU — meaning the full name is reserved for fruit grown and cured in the defined area. ⚠ **Which is why world markets carry «kalamata-style»** olives — **that means they are not from here**. ✅ **Also worth buying here**: **Messinian olive oil** (also PDO), dried figs and honey — from the central market rather than the tourist shops.
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**The capital of Messinia and the second city of the Peloponnese** — the region's practical base rather than its beautiful one. Its name is known worldwide for **olives**: the long black **Kalamata olive** is among Greece's most famous products, and **Messinian olive oil** carries a protected designation of origin. The city looks **modern**: the **1986 earthquake** hit it hard and parts were rebuilt. But it has a **small old town** around the Frankish **Villehardouin castle**, and the **Church of the Holy Apostles**, where the Greek revolution was proclaimed in **1821** — **Kalamata was the first city liberated** in that war. ✅ Its seafront is **very long**, with a tree-lined promenade and beaches inside the city. ⚠ Do not come to it as a destination: it is **a base for sleeping, shopping and transport** while exploring Messinia.
Where the Greek revolution was proclaimed in 1821.
Olives, oil, figs and honey — the best things to buy in the region.
A long, level, tree-lined promenade along the city.
Kalamata, 24100 Messinia, Greece