The small village of Bordonia is built at the foothills of Taygetos and is 15 km from Sparta.
The name Bordonia was given to the village due to the breeding of herds of oxen that took place there in the old days. Panagiotis Zografos, a famous painter and fighter of the Revolution of 1821, came from Bordonia. Thanks to his collaboration with Ioannis Makrygiannis, he is a legend of Greek art. Panagiotis Zografos was a self-taught folk painter and hagiographer of the Post-Byzantine folk tradition. He painted twenty-five paintings, and Giannis Tsarouchis has characterised his works as "innocent, wise painting".
Bordonia is known for its small but historic castle, built on a cliff that reminds you of a large pyramid if it is seen from afar. The castle was built during the Frankish period, at about the same time that the castle of Mystras was built (13th century). However, it is located in a prominent position, inaccessible to those who want to visit it. Like Mystras, from 1263, it came under the control of the Byzantines of the Despotate of Moreas, while in 1460, it was handed over to the Turks (after the conquest of Mystras by Muhammad II the Conqueror). The Turks destroyed the castle so that it would not be used again. Nevertheless, in 1463-1471, although damaged, it was used in the Venetian-Turkish war. The castle appears in the Venetian lists of 1463 and 1467, where it is noted as a Venetian possession and not destroyed. Inside the castle, there are numerous paths, loopholes, as well as the church of Agios Dimitrios, built in 1712. During the Turkish occupation, there was also the area's cemetery at this location. Finally, on the southern horizon of the castle, there is a cave in which the distinguished people of the area lived in the past. For this reason, the cave was named "The Elders".
