Pyrgos ( 319 km from Athens,96 km from Patras,153 kms from Tripolis ) is a colorful agricultural and trading town, the capital of the Province of Eleia.
From Pyrgos, the road forks eastwards through the fertile valley of Elis, one of the ancient city-states of the Peloponnese.In the middle of this valley, where the rivers Alphios and Kladeos flow, lies Olympia. The Olympic Games were held here in honor of the Olympian Zeus every four years from prehistoric times. Between 776 B.C.( the first written date and the beginning of the ancient history of Greece )and 393 A.D., the Greek calendar was based on the Games.
The Olympiads included not only athletic contests, but also athletic contests, but also reciting of verse, reading debates on philosophical and other topics, and from 67 A.D.poetic, musical and dramatic competitions. The modern Olympic Games were revived in 1896 in Athens. Even today the Olympic Flame is lit every four years in the ancient sanctuary and is transported from Greece to the stadium of that year’s Games.
In the museum, one can see the superb statue of Hermes by Praxiteles. Famous was also the gold and ivory statue of Olympian Zeus created by Phidias.