Everything about Nafplion totally explained
Nafplion ( ), in the
Peloponnese in
Greece, is a seaport town that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the
Argolic Gulf (Argolikos Bay). The town was the capital of Greece from
1829 to
1834. Nafplion, with a population of (13,822) is the capital of the prefecture of
Argolis and the province of Nafplion.
Name
The name of the town in
Greek is Ναύπλιο or in
Ancient Greek Ναύπλιον/Ναύπλιων (adding omega/nu, thus the transliteration "Nafplion"). As is the case with many Greek names, there's more than one possible Latin transliteration. Currently, the most commonly used English spelling is "Nafplion" (or sometimes "Nafplio" like the
Modern Greek way of saying it).
Many sources, especially those dealing with the ancient city, refer to it by its
Latin name of Nauplion. In other languages it's known variously as Nauplia, Navplion, Nauplio, Nafplion and Anapli; these names would have been current in English during the periods of
Venetian and
Ottoman domination. In
Italian, Nafplion is known as Napoli di Romania, the last two words referring to the ancient name ("Romania") formerly used to define those territories occupied by the Byzantine Empire, and serving to distinguish the town from the other Napoli (for example
Naples) in
Italy.
Geography
Nafplion is situated on the
Argolic Gulf in the northeast
Peloponnese. Most of the old town is on a peninsula jutting into the gulf; this peninsula forms a naturally protected bay that's enhanced by the addition of man-made
moles. Originally almost isolated by marshes, deliberate landfill projects, primarily since the 1970s, have nearly doubled the land area of the city.
History
The area surrounding Nafplion has been inhabited since ancient times though little sign of this remains within the town. The town has been a stronghold at several times in history.
Byzantine/Venetian era
The Akronafplia has walls dating from pre-classical times. Subsequently, Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, and Ottomans added to the fortifications. Nafplion was taken in 1212 by the French crusaders of the
Principality of Achaea, then in
1388 was sold to the
Venetians. During the subsequent 150 years, the lower city was expanded and fortified, and new fortifications added to Akronauplia. The city was surrendered to the
Ottomans in 1540. At that period, Nafplion looked very much like the 16th century image shown below to the right. The Venetians retook Nafplion in
1685, and strengthened the city by building the castle of
Palamidi, which was in fact the last major construction of the Venetian empire overseas. However, only 80 soldiers were assigned to defend the city and it was easily retaken by the Ottomans in 1715.
Greek War of Independence
During the
Greek War of Independence, Nafplion was a major Ottoman stronghold and was besieged for a year by
Theodoros Kolokotronis. Akronauplia, and then Palamidi, finally surrendered because of starvation. After its capture, because of its strong fortifications, it became the seat of the provisional governments of Greece, and Kapodistrias made it the official capital of Greece in 1829. After his assassination there in 1831 a period of anarchy followed, until the arrival of King
Otto and the establishment of the new
Kingdom of Greece. Nafplion remained the capital of the kingdom until 1834, when King Otto decided to move the capital to
Athens.
Tourism emerged slowly in the
1960s, but not to the same degree as around other ares of Greece; nevertheless, it tends to attact a number of tourists from Germany and the Scandinavian countries in particular. Nafplion enjoys a very sunny and mild climate, even by Greek standards, and as a consequence has become a popular day- or weekend road trip destination for Athenians in wintertime.
Modern era
Nafplion is a port, with fishing and transport ongoing, although the primary source of local employment currently is tourism, with two beaches on the other side of the
peninsula from the main body of the town and a large amount of local accommodation. There is now a railway station with daily trains from/to
Athens (
OSE).
Since 2003, the University of Peloponnese has incorporated a new faculty, the School of Fine Arts. In 2007, a single department exists ; the
Department of Theatre(External Link
), working on four pathways:
(1). Acting & Directing (2). Scenography & Costume Design (3). Contemporary Dance (4). Dramaturgy & Theatrology
Historical population
| Year |
Population |
Change |
Municipal population |
Change |
| 1981 |
10,611 |
- |
- |
- |
| 1991 |
11,897 |
1,286/12.1% |
14,740 |
- |
| 2001 |
- |
- |
16,885 |
2,145/14.55% |
Notable people
Further Information
Get more info on 'Nafplion'.
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