FAULTS AND REVOLUTION
In this area, the historic Agia Lavra Monastery is found, one of the older monasteries of Peloponnese, and symbol for the Greek Revolution. According to some researchers, this is the place where the revolution first started. It lies at an altitude of 933m at the foot of Velias Mt.
The Monastery was founded in 961 A.D. at the Palaiomonastiro site, about 300 m from the current site of the Monastery. Part of the old monastery was built in a rock shelter at the edge of a steep cliff. It is a Byzantine Monument, matching architecturally perfectly with the rocky substrate.
Geodiversity
The area around Agia Lavra Monastery is situated on top of the Pindos geotectonic zone rocks, formed 237 to 33.9 million years ago (Triassic to Eocene) in Pindos ocean. Almost all the rocks of Pindos zone are outcropping. Because of the collision of the African plate with the Eurasian one and the resulting pressure to the earth’s crust, the rocks were folded (curved) and uplifted, forming high mountains. Such characteristic folds can be seen south of the Monument of Heroes.
Moreover, because of the formation of the Corinth gulf, big faults (faults=fractures) were formed. Kalavryta fault is one of them, consisting the southern border of the so called Kalavryta tectonic graben (geosite 07). Agia Lavra geosite is genetically connected to it as it lies just in front of Kalavryta fault.
South of the Monument of Heroes, a series of small closely spaced parallel faults forms a step-like feature. Such “groups” of faults, called “en echelon faults”, are often formed at the borders of bigger tectonic structures such as the Kalavryta fault.
Biodiversity
The Geosite is located within the Protected Area “AISTHITIKO DASOS KALAVRYTON” (GR2320004) and the Special Protection Area (SPA) for avifauna “OROS CHELMOS (AROANIA)-FARANGI VOURAIKOU KAI PERIOCHI KALAVRYTON” (GR2320013) of the Natura 2000 network. In the area between Agia Lavra and Kalavryta town, the rare endemic plant subspecies Campanula topaliana subsp. topaliana is found. This is a very diverse species that grows only in steep limestone slopes, at high altitudes (up to 1700m).
