An old building..

Restored to its former glory

It took time - and affection

Now it is ready

Experience for yourselves...

Arxontiko Kouros

In the heart of the Peloponnese lies the beautiful and historical town of Nafplion. Nafplion was named after Nafplios, son of Poseidon, and home of Palamidis, their local hero of the Trojan war. Palamis was also supposedly the inventor of weights and measures, lighthouses, and the first Greek Alphabet.

Over the last 900 years Nafplion has seen a mixture of occupiers who have all left distinctive marks on the towns' architectural side. Three fortified castles have remained down through the centuries: The Palamidi, The Acronafplia and the Bourtzi. The Acronafplia has walls dating back to the pre-classical era and was subsequently re-fortified over the years by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians and Ottomans. In 1212 Nafplion was taken over by the French crusaders and then sold in 1388 to the Venetians. During the subsequent 150 years, the lower city was expanded and fortified, and new fortifications added to Acronauplia.

The city was ultimately surrendered to the Ottomans in 1540. The Venetians retook Nafplion in 1685, and strengthened the city by building the Palamidi Fortress which to this day dominates over the town. As there was only a small occupying force placed at this time it was easily retaken by the Ottomans in 1715 who stayed in power until the Greek War of Independence in 1821.The Bourtzi Castle is located in the sea at the mouth of the harbor of Nafplio. The Venetians completed its fortification in 1473 to protect the city from pirates and invaders. The Greeks regained it from the Turks on June 18 1822, from where they assisted in the Siege of Nafplio during the Greek War of Independence. Until 1865 it served as a fortress. It was then transformed into the residence of the executioners of condemmed convicts from the Palamidi Fortress.

Nafplion was a major Ottoman stronghold During the Greek War of Independence, and was besieged for a year by Theodoros Kolokotronis the leader of the Greek Partisans in the Argolida area. The Acronauplia, and then the Palamidi, finally surrendered due to starvation. After the Greeks regained Nafplion it was assigned as the First Capital of Greece in 1829 by Count Ioannis Kapodistrias who was the first appointed head of the newly-liberated Greece. After his assassination in 1831 outside the Church of Spyridona a period of anarchy followed, until the arrival of King Otto. Nafplion remained the capital of the kingdom until 1834, when King Otto decided to move the capital to Athens. Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of state of newly-liberated Greece, set foot on the Greek mainland for the first time in Nafplio on 07 January 1828. He was subsequently assassinated by local warlords on the steps of the church of Saint Spyridon in Nafplio on 09 October 1831.