Κάστρο Άργους Argos Castle Drone as DJI Mavic

One of the oldest and most historic castles in Greece. The site had been fortified since prehistoric times. The castle was finalized by the Franks. Argos Castle Location & Strategic Significance North of Argos, where the city ends, there are two hills. To the right, to the NE, is the hill of Aspidos and to the NW, the tallest of the two (289 m), is the hill of Larissa where the castle is located. And on the hill of Aspidos there was an ancient castle which is not saved. The two castles were united by walls to protect the city of Argos in antiquity. The Name of the Castle The castle is called Castle of Argos or Castle of Larissa. The first to settle Argos were the Pelasgians and the names are Pelasgian. "Argos" means plain and "Larissa" means acropolis. History The castle was built in prehistoric times. Its base in some places has blocks, which remind us of the Cyclopean walls. In the 5th and 6th c. e.g. The Argaians repaired and completed the wall, following the older footsteps. Significant parts of that time are preserved in the north and west. In the 10th c. A.D. The medieval castle was built and was one of the most important fortifications in the Peloponnese for the Byzantines. In 1203 it was taken over by the lord of Nafplio Leo Sgourou. After the fall of 1204, the castle lasted until 1212, when it was occupied by Othon de la Roche (Otto Delaros), the noble Franco (Burgundy for precision) to whom the Duchy of Athens had been granted. The Franks at that time, in the 13th century, rebuilt the castle and gave it its present form. The castle remained Frankish even after the expulsion of the Latins from the throne of Constantinople, and was also rescued by the Catalans who occupied the Duchy of Athens. From 1356 it belonged to the Duchess of Argolida Maria d'Enghen, heir of the Delaris house. In 1388 the Duchess sold the area to the Venetians, but the castle of Argos was seized and seized by Theodore Paleologos, a despot of Mystras, to sell it to the Venetians himself in 1394. The Venetians held the castle until 1463 when it fell into the hands of the Ottomans. The Turks remained sovereign until 1822, with a brief break between 1686-1715 when the Venetians returned under Morosini for a while. In the years of the Greek Revolution, when the great army of Dramalis arrived in Argos, Kolokotronis considered that the Greeks had to occupy the castle in order to occupy the enemy and gain valuable time. Kolokotronis initially sent 100 elite men, to whom more were later added, and they became 700. Their leader was Dimitrios Ypsilantis, who at that time gave a sample of his administrative capacity. The Greeks held the castle until July 24, 1822, and managed to escape after the antisemitism inflicted on the enemy by the Greeks at the Mill camp. The fighters had managed to delay the enemy for about 15 days, which was a precious time for their organization and the triumph at Dervenakia after two days. Building, Architectural, Fortification Elements The castle has two enclosures; the outer one, 200 m long, and the inner one approximately 70 m long. In the interior there was a temple of Larissa Zeus and Athena Polias Also, there was a crucifixed 12th century church. Its landmark inscription was saved by the name of Bishop Nikitas, which is kept in the storehouses of the Argos Museum. For the construction of the church was used building material of ancient times. But even in many other parts of the castle's masonry, the visitor can see built-in architectural member.