Early Infirmaries in Methoni During the Venetian Occupation

In the High Middle Ages, Venetian sovereignty was recognized in Methoni and Koroni (in Greece). It helped lay the foundations for the prevalence of democracy in Venice in the Eastern Mediterranean. The development of these two decadent regions of Messinia, had to be supported by social welfare infrastructure. Today, the search for these social welfare infrastructures in Venetian Methoni at the beginning of the conquest turns mainly to the monasteries of the Latin monastic orders that settled there during that time. These spiritual institutions, which provided shelter, hospitality, and even medical care to those in need, have not been identified to date.

The goal of this paper is to propose two possible locations based on bibliographic and on-site research. With the help of bibliographies, Venetian files, and relevant wills from the time, an effort was made to identify these ruins. On-field research was carried out to consolidate the findings that arose from the analysis of bibliographic references, the evidence arising from them, as well as local tradition.

The monastery of the Cistercian nuns shows that, in the context of charity, medical care was provided to those in need. The monastery in Paliomothoni was one of the earliest infirmaries in Venetian Methoni. The location of the first infirmary of Venetian Methoni within the Cistercian monastery of Paliomothoni is highly probable. Additionally, it was found to be operating there by Dominican monks at a later time.