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Nafplio Archaeological site

What Is Nafplio?

Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese and held under a succession of royal houses in the Middle Ages as part of the lordship of Argos and Nauplia. This was initially held by the de la Roche following the Fourth Crusade before coming under the Republic of Venice and, lastly, the Ottoman Empire.

The town was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and of the Kingdom of Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Today, Nafplio is the capital of the regional unit of Argolis.

 

History

It seems that the town was first knowns as Nauplia, and it has been inhabited since ancient times. It was the first independent of Argos and a member of the maritime confederacy.

It became a place of considerable importance in the middle ages and has continued so down to the present day. The city surrendered to the Ottomans in 1540 and then by the Venetians in 1685 only to be retaken by the Ottomans during the Greek War of Independence.

Count Ioannis Kapodistrias, first head of state of newly liberated Greece, made it the capital of Greece in 1829. It remained the capital until 1834, when King Otto decided to move the capital to Athens.

Today, Nafplio is a port with tourism the primary source of employment.

 

Archaeological Remains

The Acronauplia is the oldest part of the city though a modern hotel has been built on it. Fortifications of the city include the Palamidi and Bourtzi, which is in the middle of the harbour.

It is one of the few Greek cities not affected by the laws of antiparochí, where old mansions were demolished all over Greece. The archaeologist Evangelia Protonotariou Deilaki, managed to preserve much of its architectural heritage.

Several sculptures and statues can be found around the city, but they are mostly related to the modern history of Nafplio, such as the statues of Ioannis Kapodistrias, Otto of Greece and Theodoros Kolokotronis.

 

Interest For Today

The Archaeological Museum of Nafplion.

 

Location

Nafplio is in Greece on the coordinates: 37°34′N 22°48′E

 

Tourist Information

For more information on the sites to visit go to  http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/main_cities/nafplio

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