The castle of Methoni

The castle of Methoni stands imposingly on the southwest edge of Peloponnese. It is one of the most distinctive castle – communities in Greece, with an area of ​​about 93 acres, and at the edge towards the sea there is Mpourtzi, which can be reached by following the paved corridor through the Gate of the Sea.

The castle of Methoni was built in 1209 by the Venetians in a rock that enters the sea and is separated from the mainland by an artificial moat. The bridge that connects it to the mainland and its decorated gate are the most impressive parts of the Castle. The stone made bridge that consists of fourteen arches, was built over the moat by technicians of the Expedition scientifique de Moree, which accompanied general Maison, in 1828. Two great bastions are reserved on the left and on the right of entry, while at the western edge there is the bastion Bembo, built during the 15th century.

The north side of the Castle of Methoni had taken its final shape in the early 18th century and it retains it until today. The height of the wall on this side reaches 11 meters. The domed road that starts from the gate, leads from a second gate and then a third, inside the castle.

Inside the Castle of Methoni there are ruins of the houses where the Venetian lords used to live during the period of prime, the paved road leading to the Gate of the Sea, the ruins of a Turkish bath, the Byzantine church of Agia Sophia, close to which there is one plate with Latin letters (dating to 1714), parts of Doric columns and a monolithic granite column which is commonly known and called as “the column of Morosini”, because either the winged lion of Venice or the bust of Morosini were believed to be placed there.

The Castle of Methoni was at its peak between the A ‘Venetian period, ie during the 13th-15th century, while the final decline came, after 1828, and most of the population started to move outside the walls.