Until we arrived in Nafplio, Greece, I had no clue about the Fortress of Acronauplia, also known as the Old Fortress. When we checked in, the clerk at the desk told us about the three fortresses in Nafplio. I’d heard of Palamidi Fortress (which we ended up checking out) and Bourtzi Castle in the bay, but learning about Acronauplia inspired my curiosity. Since we couldn’t visit Bourtzi Castle as the boats weren’t running, we decided to go explore Acronauplia instead.
Location
History
Acronauplia Fortress, perched right above the old town, is actually the oldest fortress in Nafplio. This place goes way back to the Mycenaean times and used to be a bustling port with conections to Argos. The castle stretches across three levels all the way to the top of the hill. The first set of walls at the lower acropolis dates back to the 4th century BC, making it a top spot for trading during that time. Up until the 13th century, Acronauplia was basically its own little town. Its walls, reaching heights of 85 meters, surrounded and shielded the entire area. Then in 1212, when the Franks took over, the fortress was split into separate castles, with the Castle of the Franks on the east side and the Castle of the Greeks on the west side.
By 1470, Nafplio was under Venetian rule, and the Venetians added a third castle to the fortress complex called The Castle of Toro. Around this time, they reinforced the middle of the Frankish Castle and added an area known as the Traversa Gambello. In addition, they added in a bastion, which by 1520, when the Turks conquered the area, housed five big canons pointing out to sea. This area became known as The Five Brothers.
Acronauplia was freed by the Greeks back in 1822, with Theodore Kolokotronis proudly raising the Greek flag over the fortress. Nafplio served as Greece’s capital from 1829 until 1834, but then King Otto decided to move the capital to Athens. Since then, the area has seen a lot of changes, with many of the old fortified walls falling to ruin. Areas were also turned into military spots for hospitals, warehouses, and camps. Some parts got knocked down completely, making way for new public buildings. Like many castles, Acronauplia was used as a prison from 1926 to the 1960s. A hotel built in 1961 still sits where the Castle of Toro used to be. In addition, in 1971, another hotel was built at the site of the Castle of the Greeks.
Traversa Gambello
During the first Venetian occupation a second line of defense, a wall, was built reinforcing the defense of the Frankish Castle. Behind the wall of the Frankish Castle there is an upper and a lower area The lower area, reinforced with an accessory wall, is purposely designed to help protect against artillery impact. It is semi-circular wall and protects the gate. The upper area has the M shaped Venetian battlements. Very common in that era.
Inside the Frankish Castle and Beyond
The Frankish Castle is where the Frankish officers resided, as well as where military and administrative offices were. Besides a sign with information about the Frankish Castle and a map with names of the places, the buildings didn’t have their own labels. I kind of struggled to figure out which building was which, but it was fun just wandering around and checking everything out.
Clock Tower
After Nafplio achieved their independence in 1822, King Othon decided to erect a clock tower sometime after 1866. This tower was actually a gift from Louis I of Bavaria. Fast forward to 1944, and the Nazis blew it up while making their getaway from Greece. But before they did, the Greeks made sure to remove the clock mechanism and keep it safe. In 1949, after the war was over, Nafplio rebuilt the tower and installed the clock.
Military Hospital
Built back in 1829 by Governor Kapodistrias, this place used to be a two-story hospital. You can still see the stone stairs among the ruins of the ground floor and the raised basement. There’s a courtyard wrapping around the old hospital, and at one point of time their were residential homes in this area. On the far side, there’s a small modern amphitheater where a local band was setting up while we were exploring.
Sea Gate
If we weren’t curious people we would have missed this beautiful view. The Sea Gate is located across the street and a bit down the hill from the military hospital. It is not an obvious stop. It does have the most spectacular view though! The sea gate was another entrance to the fortress.
Conclusion
Although missing Bourtzi Castle was disappointing, being able to explore Acronauplia Fortress was a good alternative in Nafplio, Greece. We enjoyed the open free-to-roam fortress areas and also the fantastic views. In retrospect, although we visited so many amazing places, we really needed another couple of days to just enjoy the town of Nafplio. This is definitely on our must return to list!
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