“The Second National Assembly of the Greeks met in this place, March 30 – April 18, 1823”
The “Sacred Space” of the Second National Assembly of the Greeks is undoubtedly one of the most important historical monuments not only of Kynouria, but also of our homeland. The anniversary of this event is celebrated with special splendor every year on Easter Friday.
The Greek state, recognizing the great contribution of the Karytsiotis School and the “Sacred Space” of the Second National Assembly of the Greeks to the Greek nation, declared it a “historic monument”, “historic site” and “archaeological site”. Astros Tuition
YA 47192/1433/11-6-1946 – Official Gazette 127/B/8-8-1946
“Let us declare as a historical preserved monument the lecture hall in Astra where the second National Assembly met in 1823”.
Characterization of the Karytsiotis school square and part of the farm, in Astros Kynourias, as a historical site.
HY Ministry of Defense/GDAPC/ARCH/B1/Φ30/65069/3340/1-8-2005 – Official Gazette 1194/B/30-8-2005
We classify as a historical site the remaining section of 18,850 square meters. of the old farm (total area of 46 acres), which belonged to the Karytsiotis School…
This area is part of the farm – originally 46 acres, which Dimitrios Karytsiotis had donated to the School, which he had founded in 1805 – planted with orange, lemon and olive trees, the product of which was used to pay the School’s teachers and covering its expenses.
In this farm, two important events of the Revolution took place, the known as the “Kolokotronis Table” on June 19, 1821, to which the chieftains had come, in order to overcome their differences and agree on the success of the Revolution that was starting at that time, as also the Second National Assembly of the Greeks (March 30 to April 18, 1823) with the presence of chieftains, politicians, masses of people and the army. Within the School, which is included in the area under declaration, the declaration of the National Assembly was drawn up”.
Nafplio, which had originally been chosen to hold the Assembly, was rejected as it was considered a “partial place”, i.e. party, under the absolute influence of Kolokotronis. Thus, Astros was finally chosen for the National Assembly as the “place of the Nation.” The meetings took place in the countryside, “in an orchard,” according to Kolokotronis.
The Archaeological Museum of Astros (Karytsiotis school building), the forecourt area of the school and the neighboring “Sacred Space” of the Second National Assembly of the Greeks are physically and functionally three separate spaces with their own particular historical significance, but harmoniously linked together, modest and imposing, it is an enchanting space, in itself a wonderful and unique “museum” that our visitors admire.
Members of the government began arriving at Astros in early March, but it took about a month for the proxies to arrive. The assembly began on March 30, 1823 in Astros Kynourias and lasted until April 18.
The decisions of the National Assembly were very important for the establishment and organization of the Greek State.
On April 13, 1823, the Provisional Government of Greece, the constitution which had been voted on January 1, 1822 by the First National Assembly of Epidaurus, was revised. The new Constitution was called the “Law of Epidaurus” (showing the continuity of the new Constitution with the previous one).
The Nation acquired a definitive Constitution, which, by decision of the assembly, was “the supreme law” and prevailed over the laws of the parliament. By decision of the assembly, the catalytic intervention of Kolokotronis, the anger of the people and the army, prevented the expropriation of the national lands – estates, which were left behind by the Turkish lords, which the kotzabasides of the assembly sought and wanted. The revised Constitution, extremely progressive and innovative for its time, contained liberal and democratic provisions that guaranteed the individual rights of the citizen. Public education was instituted, issues of religious freedom were resolved, the principle of free press was established, etc. The Criminal Code was also drawn up, based on Byzantine Law, to protect the citizen from the indecency of the authorities.
It gave the right of ownership to all persons who were in Greece, without restriction on their nationality.
During the Assembly it was decided to abolish the local organizations, the Messinian Senate in Kalamata by Petrobeis Mavromichalis, the Peloponnesian Senate in the Kaltezon Monastery, the Senate of the Western Peninsula of Greece in Messolonghi, by Al. Mavrokordatos and Areios Pagos in Salona, for Eastern Greece, from Th. Negri, so that there is a single center of authority and coordination.
One of the important points of the Second National Assembly is the abolition of the chief strategy, a decision which, although without mentioning his name, abolished the position of Theodoros Kolokotronis. The decision was considered as a declaration of the democratic state, in which all powers belonged to the representatives of the nation elected by universal suffrage.
“It was issued in Astros within the Museum of Karytsiotis,” says the proclamation of the National Assembly. The Astros Archaeological Museum is housed in the Karytsiotis School
Also important is the final text of the National Assembly, where the re-declaration of National Independence and the decision to continue the Revolution with every sacrifice is made.
The Assembly, following the standards of the Constitutions of the French Revolution of 1789 AD, drew up the “Declaration of the Second Greek Assembly”. The proxies of the National Assembly and Kolokotronis honored our great national benefactor Dimitrios Karytsiotis, “Was published in Astros within the Museum of Karytsiotos,” says the proclamation of the National Assembly. The assembly responded with the proclamation, to the world and the greats of the time. “We are determined to become independent, as an autonomous and independent nation.” a bit topical today…
The proclamation begins with the words: “The pro-independence national war of the Greeks has been going on for the third year already, and the tyrant has not been defeated either by land or by sea. While the tyrannical hands of the Greeks sent a myriad of Turks to hell, and they acquired fortresses and secured the territory, and the sound of the weapons, echoing, disturbed Byzantium, the nation was happy to proclaim in Epidaurus for the first time as a nation, its independence , to legislate and establish a national administration. Already after sixteen months, Second to convene in Astros Assembly.
The “Sacred Space” of the 2nd National Assembly of the Greeks can be seen with the yellow line and the Courtyard of the Karytsiotis School with the blue line.
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