An unusual name for a town… The most prevailing opinion is that the name originated from ‘’filiatra’’ which means well’s rim, since there were plenty of them between the 16th century, when the first inhabitants settled here, and the 19th century. We should also mention the presence of the Frank Baron de Figliatre. Today at Filiatra the visitor will surely want to visit the famous (renamed) square of IoannisKapodistrias, which stands out among many other Greek town squares, both in terms of size and thanks to the elaborate buildings and structures that adorn it. Initially, it was the property of Ali PasaVelis. In 1831 it was granted by Kapodostrias to the Municipality of Filiatra, on the codition that a school would built and that grounds would be cultivated to support the town financially. To the west there were vineyards, while the other half of the square was a dense forest at least until 1865. After a series of court trials, due to trespasses among other things, cutting of century-old trees and other works, the square started to take its current form, especially after 1871, when the Clock was erected on its east side, along with two buildings of the town’s marketplace, the so-called Manavika. The old marketplace is today the building complex of the former City Hall of Filiatra. During the same period, the elegant and elaborate fountain of the square, known throughout Messenia and the Peloponnese, was made in Florence and not in Milan, as was the Clock. This fine piece of work made of stone and cast iron, featuring iron and marble basins and a tall octagonal base with coils, is located in the middle of the central square. Four figures of small anked kids, riding various animals and holding things that symbolize nature;s elements, together with embossed monster heads that ‘’spit’’ water and overflow chutes in the shape of flowers, create a unique artistic web. Beyond this, the building of the Old Tank, a historic listed monument with a 5-meter protected perimeter, is especially important architecturally. This remarkable technical project, dated at the beginning of the 19th century, covered for at least one century the areas water supply needs.The last significant visual addition to Filiatra’s buildings and historic sites, is the Vlachernachurce with the park of the same name. The single-room basilica with the wooden gable roof, hides inside a series of wall paintings of the late Byzanitne period, is dated at the end of the 18th century, and since 1996 it is listed historic monument, dominating on an entire, protected, street block. Here, on the second and third days of July, the Vlacherna Festival takes place.