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located at the western side of Peloponnese. City of Pyrgos
is the capital of the Prefecture. 80% of the Prefecture's area is plain
and is mountainous only on its northeastern side. The green flat part of
the prefecture of Ilia is the biggest valley of Peloponnese and the third
bigger in Greece. The land is fertile, due to good irrigation by the waters
of the Alfeios and the Pineios rivers, with large sandy beaches and with
many lagoons
at the mouths of its rivers, although some of them have today disappeared.
Ancient
ruins can be found in over 15 locations today and probably many more are
waiting to be found. Besides the Archaeological site of Ancient Olympia,
important monument exist at Ancient Ilis, the city that organized
the Olympic Games and near the village of Andritsena, where at Vasses,
stands almost intact, the temple of Apollo Epicurius, build
by Iktinos one of the two architects of the Parthenon. There is also an
important number of monasteries from the Byzantine period and many medieval
remains, from the period when the Franchs dominated the land, like the
castle Chlemoutsi (Chlermon) at Killini.