Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was an important seaport held under a succession of royal houses in the Middle Ages as part of the lordship of Argos and Nauplia, held initially by the de la Roche following the Fourth Crusade before coming under the Republic of Venice and, lastly, the Ottoman Empire. The town was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and of the Kingdom of Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis.
Culture
Cuisine
Local specialities include:
- Goglies (Goges), pasta
- Striftades/Striftaria, hand made pasta
- Giosa, lamb or goat meat
- Bogana, lamb meat with potatoes
Museums
- Archaeological Museum of Nafplion
Education
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, offering four majors:
- Acting and Directing
- Dance
- Set and Costume design
- Theatrical Studies
Architecture and urban sculpture
Acronauplia is the oldest part of the city though a modern hotel has been built on it. Until the thirteenth century, it was a town on its own. The arrival of the Venetians and the Franks transformed it into part of the town fortifications. Other fortifications of the city include the Palamidi and Bourtzi, which is located in the middle of the harbour.
Nafplio maintains a traditional architectural style with many traditional-style colourful buildings and houses, influenced by the Venetians, because of the domination of 1338–1540. Also, modern-era neoclassical buildings are also preserved, while the building of the National Bank of Greece is an example of Mycenaean Revival architecture.
It is one of the few Greek cities not affected by the laws of antiparochí (which demolished old mansions all over Greece), also with efforts of the archaeologist Evangelia Protonotariou Deilaki, even against local interests, preserving so, much of its architectural heritage.
Around the city can be found several sculptures and statues. They are related mostly with the modern history of Nafplio, such as the statues of Ioannis Kapodistrias, Otto of Greece and Theodoros Kolokotronis.
Transportation
Bus
Since 1952, the town has been served by public bus (KTEL Argolida), which provides daily services to all destinations in region as well as other major Greek centers such as Athens. The journey to Athens takes two to two hours and 20 minutes, going via Corinth/Isthmos and Argos.
Rail
Rail service began in 1886 using an earlier station that still stands.
The town is connected by a branch line of ten kilometers from Argos to Nafplio. In 2011, the Corinth–Tripoli–Nafplio train service was suspended during the Greek financial crisis. There was a plan to re-open the line as an extension of the suburban railway that connects Corinth with Athens, but that has not happened.
