Koita
village in Laconia, Greece
Koita (Greek: Κοίτα, before 1940: Κίττα - Kitta) is a village in the Mani peninsula, Laconia, Greece. It is part of the municipal unit of Oitylo. It is built on top of a hill, overlooking the sea. Koita is known for its many Maniot pyrgoi (war towers). Partially abandoned, much of the population left between World War II and today. It was the scene of Mani's last vendetta, in 1870 which required the intervention of the army, with artillery to halt it. It is among the oldest villages in Mani, being mentioned in the Iliad as "Messes", a village in Menelaus' kingdom. Population 290 (2021).
Subdivisions
The community of Koita consists of the main village Koita and the smaller villages Agios Georgios, Ano Gardenitsa, Archia, Kalonioi, Kato Gardenitsa, Kechrianika, Nomia and Psi.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Koita” as village in Laconia, Greece. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as village in Laconia, Greece. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6418387. Authority coordinates are 36.513, 22.402. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1940, 1870 and 2021.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Koita”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Koita primary sources, Koita archive and Koita research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Koita”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Koita” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.