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Pylos

A Road Trip in the Peloponnese

First destination: Pylos

On the second week of August, with my friend Spyro we did a four days road trip in the Peloponnese where we visited four medieval towns: Pylos, Methoni, Koroni and Mystra. Traveling with a car in the Peloponnese was an ideal decision. We visited all the historic towns that we had on our list and also enjoyed the opportunity to explore other small towns. Last summer, during the Classics Summer Field Trip, I visited most of the Ancient Greek sites in the Peloponnese by bus and Pylos was one of our most remarkable destinations. This summer, I returned back to this small and marvelous town, and discovered its medieval and the modern history.

The History of Pylos

The history of Pylos goes back to 425 BCE, when the Athenians defeated the Spartans below the classical city of Koryphasion also known as Old Pylos. Under the Byzantine rule the town, now referred as Old Pylos, was turned into a citadel, and after 1278 Franks turned it into a castle that is known as the Paleocastro. In 1573 the Ottomans started to control the region. They strengthened the Paleocastro but also built a new defense on the opposite side of the southern entrance of the bay. The new castle, known as Neocastron, consisted of the large rectangular walls controlling the entrance of the harbor. Between the walls a small walled town with a central mosque resided.

In 1686 the fortification was taken by the Venetians. However, the Venetians were dismissive of the site’s military value stating that the cite was on a poor position and lacked a ditch. In 1827, during the Battle of Navarino, the Ottoman army surrendered the castle to the French army. The French authorities did some repair work and constructed a new set of two storey barracks. In 1864, the castle became a prison. During the Second World War the gun emplacements were placed inside the castle. Finally, between 1982 and 1987 a major program of restoration was carried out by the Greek Center of Underwater Archeology. Today the visitors do not only visit the fortress but they can also visit the barracks that were transformed into art galleries and see the underwater excavations that took place in the Navarino Bay.

Travelers' Views

This engraving was made by the Flemish doctor and scholar of Classical Greek and Latin literature Olfert Dapper (1636-1689). He published numerous volumes on the history and geography of China, Asia, Africa, America and Eastern Mediterranean. His books had maps and engravings and they served as points of references and useful travel guides for the travelers of his time. In this picture, Drapper portrayed the Sixth Ottoman-Venetian War also known was the Morean War (1684-1699). The painting dates from 1688. The scene is depicted from the Shapcteria Island and the scenery is dominated with the sea battle between Ottoman and Venetian navals in the Navarino Bay. The picture captures both the upper and the lower castle of Neocastron. We see the inhabitants were located on the slope of the hill in the lower castle. We again see the minarets that represent the Ottoman rule. Hence, this picture is an important one to understand the structure of the castle in the 17th century.

http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=51466

The following painting is made by the Bavarian officer and amateur artist Johann Nepomuk Haubenshmid (1792-1858). Haubenshmid created his watercolor painting of Navarino in 1849 based of his sketch made in Greece in 1833. The scene depicts the picturesque scenery of the Bay of Navarino during the Battle of Navarino. The scenery is drawn from the hills on the coastline. On the left of the painting we see a traveler who uses the road that leads to Pylos. On the painting we clearly see the Castle of Pylos, the town outside of the fortresses and the Shapcteria Island.

The two following photos are taken by the French historian and journalist René Puaux (1878-1936). The pictures of the Neokastron and the port of Pylos were taken in 1932. The first picture is the upper gate of the Neokastron. Today this gate is used as the main entrance to the castle, and instead of the plants and the leading road, now there is a parking plot. The second picture is taken from the port. The picture displays that in the 30s the two cannons that were used during the Battle of Navarino, one Venetian and one Ottoman cannon were jammed into the ground and abandoned. Today, these cannons are in the main square, the Three Admiral’s Square under the marble monument dedicated to the Battle of Navarino. On the three sides of the monument there are the portraits of the three admirals, Codrington, Heyden and DeRigny, who fought against the Ottoman-Egyptian fleets in 1827. The two cannons, one Ottoman and one Venetian are placed on both sides at the base of the monument and they symbolize the history of the town.

http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=40018

http://eng.travelogues.gr/item.php?view=40030


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