Methoni Castle

Methoni, Greece

Built by the Venetians in the early 13th century on a rocky promontory, the castle of Methoni is among the largest ones in the Mediterranean. You’ll be astonished at the bridge stone of 14 arches which connects the castle to the shore instead of the timber one that used to stand in its place before the Venetians ever got there. The celebrated symbol of Venice, the lion of St Marc, dominates the gate of the castle where immured reliefs, emblems, blazons, inscriptions, the huge gates, especially the main gate, above the moat, and the relics of two Ottoman bathhouses have survived.

At the south edge of the castle a fortified islet floats. Bourtzi, as it is called, a prison and place of executions during the Turkish Occupation, was built in 1500 and is connected to the Sea Gate of the castle with a paved tiny road.

References:

Visit Greece

Address

Methoni, Greece

See all sites in Methoni

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Greece

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.visitgreece.gr

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Antonio “Yankee” Cugliari (10 months ago)
Excellent location, unfortunately it closes too early 15.00 so we couldn't visit the inside part

Shahieda Salie (11 months ago)
This was zoom in/out?. We had just45min. But could see quite a lot. It has beautiful views from all sides.

Jeff Schmidt (2 years ago)
This was a great place we stopped to visit. A lot of walking but we saw quite a bit of old ruins plus lots of beautiful views of the water and nearby islands.

G Mac (2 years ago)
What an extraordinary place. The seaside fortifications and the bridge to the castle are quite well preserved. The area is large with lots of structures to explore. The Castle on the water is superb. This is a must see destination if you are in the area.

Benjamin El'Abied (2 years ago)
Out of many places we have visited this place goes on top of my list. Best snorkeling experience we had on this trip. The water is very clear. We went away from the beach itself which was not impressed at all. Fig trees and restaurants are around you. Didn't get the chance to get inside the Castle. I didn't feel it was worth it.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright discopalace

Historic Site of the week

Sigmaringen Castle

Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.

The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.

These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.