Archaeological sites to visit on a Peloponnese villa holiday

Archaeological sites to visit on a Peloponnese villa holiday date from the Bronze through to the Middle ages and include Olympia, the site of the original Olympic games.

Olympia, also known in ancient times as Olimpia and Olimbia was the site of the Olympic games in the classical age. The games date back beyond 776 BC and were held every four years or Olympiad and were originally established to honor the Greek god Zeus.

There are a number of buildings of archaeological import at the area of Olympia known as the sanctuary or Altis, within the sacred enclosure of the temenos are the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Zeus and the altar area of the Pelopion. To the east are the hippodrome and the stadium.

The Olympic flame is ceremonially lit at the Temple of Hera before it begins its journey to the site of the current day Olympic Games, it is a significant connection between the modern world and ancient Greece.

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the enormous gold and ivory statue of the god Zeus, sculpted by Pheidas, used to stand in Olympia near to the temple of Zeus. www.olympia-greece .org is a useful website for visitors to Olympia.

Other archaeological sites of import in the Peloponnese Peninisula include the ancient city of Corinth, the palace of Nestor at Pylor, the ancient city of Messene and Sparta along with many others.

Discover these fascinating archaeological sites and more on a Peloponnese villa holiday. See the full selection of Villas du Monde  - Villas Worldwide private holiday villas in Greece then get in touch by email and allow us to guide you towards a suitable house for you. Our experts will help you regarding travel to Greece and provide any assistance you require for visiting sites such as Olympia.