The historic village of Apidia is 60 km from Sparta and has about 600 permanent residents. It is built at an altitude of 270 metres, on the slopes of the Elos plain - at the foothills of Mount Kritsova. The village has been inhabited continuously since the Neolithic era, a fact that is evidenced by the archaeological findings of the shells from that time, going through periods of destruction and resettlement.
Apidia was the only village in Laconia that cultivated tobacco during the Turkish occupation. The cultivated variety was "tsembelia" and in recent years ", Virginia". This cultivation gave prosperity to the village, as it brought it in contact with the surrounding settlements. Abandoned ovens in the plain are a remnant of tobacco cultivation.
A jewel of Apidia, the village with the traditional stone houses, is the church of the Assumption of the Virgin. It is located in the centre of the village and dates back to the 10th century. It is a large, three-aisled vaulted basilica with strong elements of oriental style. In fact, in 1962, it was declared a historical monument.
