Nafplio ... The first capital of Greece

Nauplia, as it was known in antiquity, owes its name to Nauplio, the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Danaos Amymonis, who was known for his naval skills, and for this reason the city from ancient times up to today has a strong maritime element. Below are the main stations of the particularly interesting history of Nafplion. Mycenaean Age During the Mycenaean era, the city was a powerful naval state with a wall on the rock of Akronafplia. The destruction by the Argives In the 7th century BC century Nafplio allies with Sparta against the rising city of Argos. The Argives, in order to punish them, completely destroy the city and the inhabitants who managed to save themselves found shelter in Methoni Messinia, while the city became a naval station of Argia. Byzantine era The inhabitants of the area, mainly from the central Peloponnese, settled in the fortified peninsula, seeking shelter from the barbarian raids. Then, the new city of Nafplion is being built. Nafplio appears as a hegemony from the Middle Ages, during which it became known by the Byzantines, the Venetians and the Franks. The first ones built the new walls of Akronafplia, while in the west it is due to the completion of the works and the addition of the castles to Palamidi and Bourtzi. Venetian domination vs Ottoman domination In 1388 Nafplio was captured by the Venetians, in 1540 came to the hands of the Turks, while in 1686 again by the Venetians and in 1715 the Turks occupied it again until 1822. On the night of 29 November to 30 November 1822, after a long siege, Palamidi fell into the hands of the Greeks with surprise, under the leadership of Staikos Staikopoulos. Since then, the city has begun to grow rapidly, while it has been overwhelmed by refugees from areas still under Turkish rule. Nafplio, the capital of the Greek state In 1823 it was designated as the official seat of the temporary revolutionary government. In 1827, following the decision of the National Assembly, the first Governor of Greece, Kapodistria, and the capital of Greece, became the seat of the Greek Communist Party. In 1834 Nafplion landed the first king of the country, Othon, who preserved it as a capital city until 1834, when Athens became the capital of the State. The Black Moments of the History of Nafplion The city had not only glorious days but also some "black" moments such as the Kolokotronis and Plapoutas trials as well as the imprisonment of the old man of Morias in Palamidi in 1834. On September 27, 1831, Kapodistrias was murdered outside St. Spyridon's Church. The Nafpliaks Nafplio was finally found at the heart of the events, with the Nuplical Revolution against Otto, which broke out in February 1862. Today, however, there is a statue of Otto in a central square of the city. The decline and today After 1862, a period of decline for the city of Nafplion began, but the history of the area, reflected in the architecture of the houses, the churches, the various buildings that have survived, but mainly the castles, and its unique position have made Nafplio is one of the most popular cities of Greek and foreign visitors. the journalist EVANGELIA GOURNI