The project

Antiquity

According to mythology, the city was named after the founder of Nafplio, the son of Poseidon and Amymone. The first signs of life, which can be traced to the prehistoric period, have been discovered in different parts of the city, such as Akronafplia Castle, Palamidi Hill, in the area of the Evangelistria Church, in Koutsouria, and in Karathona. The remains of an organized community, dated to the end of the 4th century BC, was found at Akronafplia Castle; the first phase of its walls has been dated to the same time.

Early and Middle Byzantine period (4th–13th centuries A.D.)

During the Byzantine period, the main area of settlement was in Akronafplia, both in the castle and on its north slope, in the area of Psaromachala. Significant ruins from this period at Akronafplia Castle are those of a church, which was probably dedicated to Agioi Theodoroi; only the foundation and the lower section of its wall survives today.

Period of Frankish rule (1210–1388)

After the conquest of Argolida by the Crusaders, in 1212 the area was ceded as a fiefdom to Othon de la Roche, the Great Lord of Athens, who annexed it to the Duchy of Athens. The Franks used a transverse wall to divide Akronafplia Castle into two sections: the so-called Castle of the Franks (Castello dei Franchi), which was used to house French officers, and the Romeiko Castle (Castello dei Greci), which was allotted to the Greeks.

1st period of Venetian rule (1388–1540)

In December 1388, Maria d’Enghien, the Countess of Lecce and the last representative of Frankish rule, ceded Argolida to the Venetians. The Venetians, well aware of the strategic location of the city, began the expansion of the north side of Akronafplia Castle, which today is known as the historical centre. Other important works during this period were the expansion of the east corner of Akronafplia Castle, with the creation of the so-called Castle of Toron, and with the fortification of the islet at the entrance to the port of the city, known with its Turkish name, Bourtzi.

1st period of Ottoman rule (1540–1686)

In 1540, after a three-year siege, the city surrendered to the Ottomans, and the first period of Ottoman rule began. The city appears to have enjoyed many advantages during this period, since it was the headquarters of the Turkish administrator of the Peloponnese, Mora pasha. The significant monument of this period is the Ottoman mosque of Syntagma Square, which has remained known as ‘Trianon’.

2nd period of Venetian rule (1686–1715)

In 1686, as part of the campaign of Francesco Morosini, the city was reconquered by the Venetians, but only for a short time, until 1715. The Venetians undertook a major series of fortification projects, the most important being the strengthening of the defences of Palamidi Hill with a great fortress. Other projects consisted of the construction of the Land Gate in a new location (close to the old one), which offered it more protection from the newly-built bastions San Antonio or Grimani in the south, and San Marco or Dolfin in the north. In 1713, the Prefect of the Fleet, Agostino Sagredo, oversaw the construction of the so-called Sagredo Gate at the northeast side of the Romeiko Castle, to provide direct access to soldiers coming from the lower city to Akronafplia. A significant structure built during this period was the ship’s depository in Syntagma Square, which now houses the Archaeological Museum. In 1702, the Church of Agios Spyridon, sponsored by the Nafplio Brotherhood of Orthodox Hellenes, opened its doors.

2nd period of Ottoman rule (1715–1822)

In 1715, after an act of treason, Nafplio was reconquered by the Ottomans, thus beginning the harsher second period of Ottoman rule. The Christians who inhabited the city were permitted to worship only at the Church of Agioi Pantes, located outside the city walls in Pronoias; from 1779 or 1780 on, worshippers were permitted to attend the Church of Agia Sofia in the Psaromachalas area. During this period, several important structures were built, such as the mosque of Aga pasha, the later Vouleftiko building, the madrasa (Ottoman seminary), located behind the Vouleftiko, and the Ottoman mosque, which during the reign of King Otto became the Catholic church known as Frankoklisia (‘Church of the Franks’).

The Liberation of Nafplio (1822)

In 1822, Nafplio was liberated by the Greeks, with the capture of Palamidi Hill in a surprise attack led by Staikos Staikopoulos.

Nafplio: The capital of Greece (1827–1834)

The city reached the height of its prosperity in 1827, when it was chosen as the capital of the newly- formed Greek state. In 1828, the first governor of Greece, Ioannis Kapodistrias, arrived in Nafplio. He governed the Greek state in an exemplary manner until 1831. During his administration, Kapodistrias founded the first organized refugee settlement of modern Greece, Pronoia, created the ‘Megalo Dromo’, a name used to refer to it even today, though it is now officially called Vasileos Konstantinou Street, and the Government House, built in 1829 to house the offices of the newly-established Greek government and also served as the governor's residence; it was completely destroyed by fire in 1929.

Assassination of Ioannis Kapodistrias (1831)

In September 1831, outside of the Church of Agios Spyridon, one of the most tragic events of modern Greek history occurred: The assassination of Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias by Konstantinos and Giorgios Mavromichalis.

Otto arrives in Nafplio (1833)

In 1833, the young Otto, son of the King of Bavaria, Ludwig I, arrived in Nafplio. Until he reached the age of adulthood, Otto ruled through a Regency, i.e., a committee of Bavarian officers.

The capital is moved to Athens (1834)

In September 1834, a decision was made to move the capital to Athens. After that, Nafplio gradually became a typical provincial city.

The Nafplio revolt (1862)

In 1862, the city found itself once again at the center of events with the revolt against Otto, which became known as the ‘Nafpliaka’. Although the struggle of the people of Nafplio, with Kalliopi Papalexopoulou as a driving force, was unsuccessful, in the long run it accelerated the expulsion of Otto from the throne of Greece.

The old city of Nafplio is characterized as an archaeological site and a historical preserved monument (1962)

In 1962, due to the efforts of the then-Treasurer of Antiquities, Evangelia Protonotariou-Deilaki, a milestone decree for the evolution of the city was announced. The old city of Nafplio was characterized as an archaeological site and a historical preserved monument. Based on this decree, the wealth of monuments in the city was saved, constituting one of the rare cases of the preservation of historical centers in Greece.

Based on:

Vassiliou, A. 2019 (in Greek). Nafplio. Brief historical and archaeological note. Nafplio, accessible at www.academia.edu - https://bit.ly/48rHxDy