Nafplio
Nafplio is perhaps the most beautiful town of Greece with rich history that begins from the paleolithic times.
Therefore, it is not strange that today Nafplio is a very popular destination for holidaymakers, and each year it hosts up to 1.5 million visitors from Greece and abroad. What attracts the visitor is the old medieval and neoclassical city with marble pavings, wooden balconies, bougainvilleas that overflow from walled courtyards, springs, ancient fountains, the square of Constitution with the old Turkish baths (film and stage theater today) and coffee shops. One feels the presence of the Palamidi everywhere which inspires awe.
Today's Nafplio holds a magnificent reception for the visitor who is willing to take a leisurely walk in the city. Each step is a reminder from history.
Entering Nafplio
In our time, we reach Nafplio by road or by train, more seldom by ship. In the old days, we would enter Nafplio from the Gate of Land that closed in the evening. Anyone remaining outside it was forced to wait till the following morning. To our left, we have the statue of Staikos Staikopoulos who stormed Palamidi and took it from the Turks after a siege that lasted from April 1821 up to 30 November 1822.
Advancing to the historical centre of city, we come to the metropolitan temple of Saint George, built during the first Venetian sovereignty. It accomodates the purple throne of Otto. Here in the summertime, concerts are presented as part of the musical festival of Nafplio. In the courtyard is a bust of the Archimantriti Christoforos Kokkinis, victim of civil war. To the South is the municipal school that formerly was the Venetian abbey.
At the end of street is the church of Saint Spyridonas that was built by the Orthodox Fraternity of Nafplio in 1702. Ioannis Kapodistrias was murdered here. In the square of Saint Spyridona, there are Turkish fountains with engraved dedications and the bust of the Nafpliot writer Aggelos Terzakis.
Following Staikopoulou street, we get to a Turkish fountain with beautiful decorations, and we soon reach Constitution Square.
Constitution Square
Here is the first Greek Parliament, "Vouleftiko", that was a Turkish mosque in the old days. To the south of "Vouleftiko" is the "Mentreses" Turkish religious school. Today, it is used as a store of the archaeological museum of Nafplio, while formerly it served as the Leonardou prison.
Opposite is the archaeological museum with exhibits from Tiryns, Mycenae, Dendra, Asini, Midea etc. Initially, it was the store of the Venetian fleet, while in the years of German occupation it was a temporary prison.
Next to the museum is the National Bank which was built on the site of the house of Kalliopi Papalexopoulou who was the soul of revolt against Otto.
To the east of Constitution square is Trianon that functions as a theatre and a cinema. Initially, it was built as a Turkish mosque and in the years of Kapodistria, it was a school.
The Big Street
Following the Big Street (Vas. Konstantinou) to the east, we reach the Art Gallery of Nafplio that houses paintings of significant artists. Here also is the statue of Otto in recognition of his filhellenic feelings despite his despotic rule. To the right is the Judicial Palace with busts of the judges George Tertseti and Anastasios Polyzoidi in the entry.
Advancing to the east, we find the building that was the first drugstore of filhellin Bonifacio Vonafin who embalmed the body of Ioannis Kapodistrias.
In the Big Street at the square of the Three Admirals, where the Nafpliots celebrated the defeat of Jmbraim in the Navarone, is found the Town hall of Nafplio. It was built as the first highschool of Greece, founded in 1833. Here also is the monument of Dimitrios Ypsilanti brought from Vienna by his brother Georgios Ypsilantis. In the old days, it had been set up in front of the mosque in Constitution square.
Continuing to the east, we find ourselves in the square of Ioannis Kapodistrias where his statue is situated and onwards from there is the park of Theodore Kolokotronis and his imposing equestrian statue. In the same direction is the residence of the bishop.
West
The parallel road is called "Sidiras Merarhias" (Iron Division) and to the West we find the 1st Public school and the 1st and 2nd Lyceum buildings of the 1930's on Amalia street. Advancing, we meet the old military academy that now accomodates the War Museum with exhibits from 1821 up to today. At the end of Amalia street is the central library of Nafplio, "the Palamidis", and the founding association of the same name.
Opposite the library is the church of Saint Nikolaos facing the square of the same name with the monument of the Filhellins in memory of the French fighters of the Revolution.
At some point, we must see the church of the Virgin Mary behind the square of Constitution and the age-old olive tree where ,according to tradition Saint Anastasios died under torture in 1655. We must also visit the Fragkokklisia in the Vrahateika, and Saint Sofia.
The lion of the Bavarians sleeps carved on a rock in Pronia.
Let us sit down for a while
But for now we walked enough. Let us sit down at one of the cafeterias by the sea front under Akronafplia, the citadel of Nafplio that is surrounded by walls built by the Franks and the Venetians over the older Hellenistic ones.
In front of us we see Bourtzi on the islet of Saint Theodoros that was first-fortified the Venetians in 1473. Further fortifications were added later until it took the form we see today.
It is difficult to imagine enormous chain that was streched at night from the land to Bourtzi to close the harbour giving to Nafplio the name Porto Kadena. And even harder to imagine that on Bourtzi was set up the hated guillotine...
The view that we have they is unique. As the sun is setting behind the mountains, the sky fills with colours from gold to deep red.
Palamidi
Tomorrow, we must surely visit Palamidi. We can go by car although it is just 999(!) steps to the top at 216 meters above sea level. The higher we climb, the more inviting is the view for another stop and another photograph.
Palamidi was first fortified by Francis Morozini in the 17th century and the work continued up to the last years of the second Venetian domination (1686-1715) when it was occupied by the Turks. It has seven ramparts that are connected by the perimeter wall.
It was known as one of the most formidable fortresses of the middle ages.
Inside the fortress is the historical chapel of Apostle Andrea, and we can visit the cells that were used when Palamidi was a jail not only for common criminals but also for political detainees. Theodoros Kolokotronis, the hero of the revolution, had been imprisoned here.
A last glance at the "Alonaki" outside the gate where the horrible guillotine was set up.
Before we go
With so many interesting sights, one could think that Nafplio is simply a tourist destination.
However, the city and region do not depend on tourism alone. They are economically autonomous with important agricultural production. In the surrounding plain, citrus fruits flourish supplying local industry and fruit markets throughout Europe.
Nafplio is the capital of the county of Argolis, an important harbour and the commercial centre of the region. Currently, the harbour is being dredged and extended so that it can service more and bigger ships.