Nestane

Nestane is a beautifully situated village in Arkadia. Pausanias mentions Nestane because of the remains of a “camp of Philippos” on the mountain overlooking the “Unprocessed Plain”. The town was found on the hill that is now known as the Panigyristra and still contains remnants of ancient fortifications.

The most remarkable, however, is the earth split that Pausanias refers to: According to Pausanias, the “Unprocessed Plain” is “unprocessed” because the rainwater from the mountains made the plain too wet for agriculture; the only way Pausanias mentions for the water – which would otherwise form a lake – is formed by an earth gap, through which the water can escape. The same water would then reappear a little further from a subsea source near Lerna. The earth cleft (in Greek katavothra, one of the many similar clefts in Arkadia) is of an impressive size and worth seeing. Equally impressive is the view over the “Unprocessed Plain”, which is currently being processed. The antique remains are nice to see.

Photos above the “Unprocessed Plain”; to the right the gate of the antique Nestane from two sides and a single piece of the wall; below the acropolis, with the supply for the earth split and the earth split itself. Only a small part of the acropolis has been confirmed because the mountain itself provided sufficient protection against conquerors.