We saw Palamidi Fortress from almost every location while exploring in Nafplio, and early on a Wednesday morning, we finally hiked up to explore it. The hill is named after the physician and astronomer Palamides, who was a a hero of the Trojan War.
Palamidi Hill is 216 m high and is made up of 8 self-contained bastions (completed in 1714)) with the idea that even if one is conquered, the others can still be defended.The story says there’s 999 steps up to the Fortress. In reality, there’s approximately 857 steps up, which wasn’t too bad early in the morning.Building was started by the Venetians, and of course, it changed hands each time Nafplio was conquered. In the end, it was used as a prison for those condemned to a life sentence or death until the 1920s.
The views as we climb. Click the arrows to move through the slideshow.
Abandoned hotel
Akronafplia Fortress
Nafplio
Arvanitias Beach
Each bastion contains a water reservoir, storerooms for ammunition and food, barracks, embrasures (openings in the battlements), machicolations (floor openings through which stones or burning objects could be dropped on attackers), “murder holes” (holes in the ceiling of gateways through which stones or burning objects could be dropped on attackers) … are you getting the idea? These were some serious defences!It got hot very quickly, and there were lots of breaks for shade and water. Views through various embrasures.Bastion of Themistocles. A moat separates it from the Bastions of Fokion and Achilles.It is named after General Themistocles, who defeated the Persians in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. We had to explore all openings.Some of them led to long passageways.Others led to cliffs,and the view below. View of a possible attacker. So good to see them learning about what they’re seeing!Bastion of Achilles. It had a low wall (no higher than 3m) and was where the Ottomans (in 1715) and the Greeks (1822) breeched the defenses to take the fortress.In the Bastion are the remains of a cistern and garrison.The fortress overlooks the Argolic Gulf and Peloponnese Peninsula on one side.On another side, it overlooks Nafplio, and Bourtzi Fortress in the harbour. Bastion of Fokion, named after an Athenian general (400 BC). It is at the highest point of Palamidi hill.Gate opening …that leads to a steep narrow staircase leading to Arvanitia Promenade.Exploring more passageways. Lunch stop at the Bastion of Robert is the closest bastion to the city of Nafplio.The gate to the Bastion of Agios Andreas with the lion as a symbol of Mark the Evangelist, patron of Venice.Bastion of Agios Andreas – the oldest and largest bastion.In the courtyard of this bastion is the chapel of Aghios Andreas, a one-room structure that’s built into the wall.This was a tiny square room in the bastion in which Theodoros Kolokotronis, an important general in Greece’s War of Independence, was imprisoned in 1833 for treason.On top of the gate to the Bastion of Agios Andreas.Looking back at the steps we took to get to the top.
The prison of Kolokotronis was truly tiny and sparse. It would have been miserable to have to spend any time in there, and Kolokotronis spent 11 months in this tiny stone cell.11.4 km, 5 hr 34 min
Absolutely incredible!
So many fortifications equals a long history of man fighting man.