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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Map of Napoli

    Napoli di Romania    
    (Nafplion)

Nafplion, fell to the Venetians in the late 14th century, was held by the Turks from 1540 to 1686, then by the Venetians to 1715 (when it was called Napoli di Romania), and then again by the Turks to 1822, when it was finally captured by the Greeks and became the first capital of the Kingdom of Greece.

Overview
The fortresses of Acronauplia and Bourtzi seen from Palamidi; in the distance Argos

Nafplion, fell to the Venetians in the late 14th century, was held by the Turks from 1540 to 1686, then by the Venetians to 1715 (when it was called Napoli di Romania), and then again by the Turks to 1822, when it was finally captured by the Greeks and became the first capital of the Kingdom of Greece.

Overview
Views

Bourtzi or Castel da Mar (Sea Castle)

Built in 1471 by Antonio Gambello, an architect from Bergamo, it was at first a single tower on a tiny islet. After Francesco Morosini captured it for Venice in 1686, a tower and bastions were added, giving it the ship-like appearance it has today. It was further strengthened by the Turks who closed the entrance to the harbour by laying a chain from Bourtzi to the pier.

Bourtzi
View of the sea fortress
Built in 1471 by Antonio Gambello, an architect from Bergamo, it was at first a single tower on a tiny islet. After Francesco Morosini captured it for Venice in 1686, a tower and bastions were added, giving it the ship-like appearance it has today. It was further strengthened by the Turks who closed the entrance to the harbour by laying a chain from Bourtzi to the pier.

Bourtzi
View of the sea fortress
Acronauplia

Acronauplia is the fortified hill above Nafplion. The present castle was built in 3 stages. The first construction stage was performed in Byzantine times, when the hill was surrounded by walls in order to protect it from repeated attacks by pirates. After French Crusaders occupation of the town following their seizure of Constantinople in 1204, Nafplion played only a minor role as the port of Argos.
The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Fortifications of Acronauplia
Fortifications of Acronauplia seen from Palamidi

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east. nd occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Gate
Gate

The arrival in Nafplion of the Venetians in the year 1377, changed the situation completely. The Venetians needed a safe haven to upload and download their ships, but also just to rest on the route towards Constantinople or towards the Holy Land. In the year 1470 Giovanni Pasqualigo was sent from Venice to reinforce the walls of Acronauplia. At this time two round towers were added to reinforce the so called "Castel de' Franchi". During their second occupation the Venetians built a new rampart (bastione Grimani) to protect the town from attacks from the east.

Palamidi

The Venetians had conquered Nafplion by bombarding it from Mount Palamidi a high hill to the east of the town.
To protect Nafplion from being bombarded again they built on this hill a very large fortress made of seven separate forts which could stand attack on their own. The 857 steps which lead to the first fort (dedicated to S. Andrea) offer breathtaking views over the town, the gulf and the mountains of Peloponnese. Today the forts are rather incongruously named after Achilles, Aiax and other heroes of Ancient Greece.

Palamidi
Bastione S. Andrea

The Venetians made Nafplion the capital of their Greek possessions and Francesco Morosini died here in 1694. The new fortress had also the political objective of showing the strength and determination of Venice. However Venice failed to gain the support of the Greek population, in particular by leaving room to the Church for forcing conversions to Catholicism and by a rapacious fiscal policy.
In spite of all its impressive walls, in 1715 Palamidi resisted the Turks for only a few days. The fall of Palamidi led to that of Nafplion and of the entire Peloponnese. One of the forts was used as a prison and Palamidi was garrisoned until the 1970s.

Prison of Palamidi
The prison of Palamidi


The three fortresses
The three fortresses in a XIXth century print

Excerpts from Memorie Istoriografiche del Regno della Morea Riacquistato dall'armi della Sereniss. Repubblica di Venezia printed in Venice in 1692 and related to this page:

Napoli di Romania

Delle nobil Città, ch'accrescevano un tempo splendore all'antica Argia, hoggidì Saccania, ò Romania Minore, dovitiosa parte della Morea, conserva sin'al presente le vecchie primitie NAPOLI, da Sosiano detta NAPLI, dalli Greci ANAPLIA, e NAUPLIA da Tolomeo. Questa forte Città, e celebre Emporio sortì da Naupliò figlio di Nettuno, e Amimone il proprio stabilimento nell'ultimo ricesso d'un Golfo volgarmente di NAPOLI, da Tolomeo ARGOLICUS SINUS chiamato sù la sommità d'un picciol promontorio, che diffondendosi in due lati, col'uno che s'estende al mare, forma a Naviganti largo, e sicuro Porto; coll'altro, che guarda la Terra, vieta a passaggieri una tal commodità al commercio, non potendo questi condurvisi sopra, che per una sol via erta, augusta, e disastrosa, fraposta al Monte Palamide, e alla Marina, appresso la quale è situato in guisa, che da tre parti frena il corso all'onde, con rive si alte, e dirupate, che in ogni occasione d'insidie, leva affatto il commodo al Nemico, non solo di sbarcare militie, mà di battere anco dalle Galere alla Città le mura; il Porto pure, che quanto spacioso nel seno, tanto più angusto nella bocca, non ammette all'ingresso Galere senza l'haver queste una dopo l'altra scorso per qualche tratto un Canale, esposte con grave loro cimento all'Artiglieria, sendo custodito da ben proveduto castello, che per esser eretto sopra un scoglio in circa trecento piedi nel Mare, non può esser espugnato da gente di Terra; ne per sorprenderlo, ponno à causa delle molte secche avvicinarsegli grossi legni; in somma non ha posto lacuno, ove non sij concorsa la natura a munirla, l'industria à confermarla; ne è men considerabile nelle circonstanze del sito, che riguardevole nella qualità de titoli; poiche altre volte era Episcopale sotto l'Arcivescovo di Corinto, hor'è Archiepiscopale Capitale, distante 55 miglia d'Atene, 60 da Misitra, 36 da Corinto, ed'è seggio del Prefetto della Provincia, in cui si numerano sessanta mille Greci, oltre moltitudine d'altri habitanti, quali secondo Pausania, furono anticamente Egittij, ch'assieme con Danao vi dimoravano, come in loro Colonia, onde come variò nel corso del tempo costumi, cosi nel progresso degl'anni humiliò se stessa a più Principi.
Al riporto di Paolo Ranusio, fù nel 1205 presa dalli Veneti collegati alli Francesi; mà poco dopo sopraggiontovi il Rè Giovannissa, quantunque la trovasse guarnita di numerosa milizia, gli diede si vigoroso assalto, che senza repliche impadronitisi, fece trucidare li Comandanti, e la Guarnigione tutta, e spiantare la Città, ch'era ricca, potente, e situata nella meglior parte della Romania.
Et il Verdizzotti dice, ch'essendo posseduta nel terzo decimo secolo da Maria d'Erigano rimasta Vedova di Pietro Figlio di Federico Corner Piscopia, incapace di resistere all'insidie di molti Principi, che la desideravano, e più di tutti dall'avido Baiazet, la presentò in dono à Veneti, sotto il di cui comando passò contenta qualche secolo, non però immune da que disastri, a quali sogliono soggiacere le Città sospirate dalla prepotenza Ottomana, perche tentata da Barbari, provò più volte nella penuria de viveri la tirannia della fame, nell'abbondanza d'insidie, l'ingordigia de seditiosi. Studiava Mehemet II nel 1460 rapirla al suo legittimo Principe, ne considerando arte, che più della militare gl'affidasse il conseguimento, della medema si valse; percio espresse a Macmut Bassà, che con numerose Truppe marchiasse ad'assediarla; il che eseguito, riuscì anco vano; mentre incontrata ne Difensori col valore l'intrepidezza a sostenere ogni violenza nemica, fù costretto doppo moltiplicati tentativi con grave perdita de suoi, abbandonare l'impresa.
Solimano pure, che più de suoi pari nutrì mai sempre l'avidità di dilatare l'Impero, comandò nel 1537 a Casin, Sangiaco della Morea il portarvisi sotto con proportionate forze, a fine d'espugnarla; non corrisposero con tutto cio i fatti all'ingiusta brama; perche conosciuto non meno l'ardore degl'Assediati a respingerlo, della propria premura à vincerli; e avvedutosi ch'il cimentare i suoi con un forte ben munito dall'arte, e meglio dalla natura provisto, sarebbe stato un azzardarli all'ultimo eccidio, intraprese la ritirata; non terminarono però due anni, che ritornato ad'infestarla, l'ottenne non da sforzo delle sue Armi, da quali fù sempre sperimentata invincibile; mà dalla Republica, che gravemente angustiata dalle guerre, e carestie cercava con la pace la quiete.
Se ben questa fù propria al coronato Leone, quale cogl'occhi aperti prende i suoi riposi, sempre attento alla ricupera di quelle piazze, che dalla forza Ottomana gli son state ingiustamente usurpate, e ben ne possono far chiara testimonianza Navarino, e Modone, che di nuovo obbedendo al Veneto commando han scosso in pochi giorni il barbaro giogo sotto di cui per un tempo sì lungo piansero l'indegna schiavitù; ancor Napoli capitale d'un Regno si florido è ritornato in breve tempo a goder una quieta libertà all'ombra de Veneti allori.
Mentre cinta da rigoroso assedio dal Capitan Generale Francesco Morosini si rissolse anch'ella di seguitare il destino commune rendendosi alla giustitia, ed alla forza della Veneta Republica, sotto di cui godeva prima un secolo d'oro. Così in pochi giorni si è ricuperata la più bella, la più forte, e la Capital piazza del florido Regno della Morea stimata quasi che inespugnabile per haver più volte mostrato generosa resistenza alle potentissime armate de barbari, che doppo haver usurpato il rimanente del Regno, conoscendo quanto poco de sicuro possedevano senza questa importante piazza ne bramavano la presa; l'hebbero, mà non à forza; bensi a forza l'han resa; gratie a DIO, e gloria alla Veneta Republica, che essendo stata in tutti i secoli il propugnacolo della fede si rende ben degna, che la mano divina gli vadi accumulando i trionfali allori.

Introductory page on the Venetian Fortresses

Pages of this section:
On the Ionian Islands:     Corfù (Kerkyra)     Paxo (Paxi)     Santa Maura (Lefkadas)     Cefalonia (Kephallonia)     Asso (Assos)     Itaca (Ithaki)     Zante (Zachintos)     Cerigo (Kythera)
On the mainland: Butrinto (Butrint)     Parga     Preveza and Azio (Aktion)     Vonizza (Vonitsa)     Lepanto (Nafpaktos)     Atene (Athens)
On Morea:     Castel di Morea (Rio), Castel di Rumelia (Antirio) and Patrasso (Patra)     Castel Tornese (Hlemoutsi) and Glarenza     Navarino (Pilo) and Calamata     Modon (Methoni)     Corone (Koroni)     Braccio di Maina, Zarnata, Passavà and Chielefà     Mistrà     Corinto (Korinthos)     Argo (Argos)     Napoli di Romania (Nafplio)     Malvasia (Monemvassia)
On the Aegean Sea:     Negroponte (Chalki)     Castelrosso (Karistos)     Oreo     Lemno (Limnos)     Schiatto (Skiathos)     Scopello (Skopelos)     Alonisso     Schiro (Skyros)     Andro (Andros)     Tino (Tinos)     Micono (Mykonos)     Siro (Syros)     Egina (Aegina)     Spezzia (Spetse)     Paris (Paros)     Antiparis (Andiparos)     Nasso (Naxos)     Serifo (Serifos)     Sifno (Syphnos)     Milo (Milos)     Argentiera (Kimolos)     Santorino (Thira)     Folegandro (Folegandros)     Stampalia (Astipalea)     Candia (Kriti)

You may refresh your knowledge of the history of Venice in the Levant by reading an abstract from the History of Venice by Thomas Salmon, published in 1754. The Italian text is accompanied by an English summary.

Clickable Map of the Ionian and Aegean Seas with links to the Venetian fortresses and to other locations (opens in a separate window)