Greece – The Castle in Methoni (En)
Methoni Castle is a huge 13th-century Venetian fortress, built in 1209 and one of the largest in Greece. It is famous for its 14-arch stone bridge and the small octagonal tower of Bourtzi, located on a rocky islet at the southern end. It is impressive; we spent several hours walking through it, and the Bourtzi Tower is beautiful.
Admission to the castle costs 5 euros per person. When we visited, it happened to be National Museum Day in Greece, so entry was free; consequently, we paid nothing. The first things one sees of the castle are its impressive main gate, the moat, and the walls. The main gate, built around 1714, is a Renaissance-style structure decorated with Corinthian relief columns, flanked by spears and banners. The moat separates the castle from the mainland and spans the entire area outside the northern walls. To enter the castle, one crosses an impressive 14-arch stone bridge, the construction of which is attributed to the French expeditionary force between 1828 and 1830.
What impressed us most was the Bourtzi Tower, offering stunning views of the castle and the iconic gate adorned with the Lion of Saint Mark. We walked along the walls surrounding the tower, from where we took impressive photos. We also went inside to see the octagonal tower.
We then arrive at the southwest tower, built exactly at the most central point of the old port, facing the Plaza de Armas. The preserved ground floor consists of two elongated spaces covered by pointed arches.
We passed by a bunker and arrived at the Church of Saint Sophia; we saw the interior, and I rang the bells.
We passed by the central pillar and exited again via the magnificent stone bridge.
Next stop: Koroni, a picturesque coastal town on the southwestern tip of the Peloponnese, which you’ll see in the next blog post.
