Giannaioi is a mountain settlement in Arcadia, built on the western slopes of Mount Taygetos, in a location with natural and strategic advantages. Around 1800, the original village was divided into two neighbourhoods: Ano Giannaioi and Kato Giannaioi. In the wider area operated gunpowder mills, similar to those of Dimitsana, which played a decisive role in supplying the Greek revolutionary forces with munitions. The inhabitants of the village took part in key battles in Arcadia, such as the Battle of Levidi (1821) and the Battle of Drampala (1825), and provided manpower to the forces of Theodoros Kolokotronis, Nikitaras and Papaflessas. In the church of Agios Athanasios, in Ano Giannaioi, Kolokotronis established his headquarters for a period of time.