Faraklo is built at an altitude of 450 metres with panoramic views of Vatika bay. It belongs to the municipality of Vion and has about 90 permanent residents. The Venetians built the village in 1479 or 1483 and named it after their leader, Faraklo. In fact, for the village’s protection, the Venetians built the Castle of Agia Paraskevi. During the 17th century, Faraklo was one of the most important urban areas of the entire Peloponnese (as shown by the census of the Venetian Francesco Grimani), while during the Turkish occupation, it flourished.
The visitors can wander the alleys in the village with the old, traditional houses. At the same time, on the broader area, they can visit several surviving Byzantine churches (others in ruins, others in better condition) and Post-Byzantine temples.
In 2006, Faraklo was in the spotlight after the icon of Panagia Vrefokratousa, which had been stolen from the Eloni Abbey in Arcadia, was found in the village on September 23rd. The icon was found in a wooden frame inside the wall of a small church in the Pantanassa Monastery. In 2007, an iconostasis was built at the site (at the expense of the Greek Police), in which a faithful copy of this image was placed during a solemn ceremony.
