The «Sorrowful Lion», the myth about the steps of Palamidi and other interesting things you may not have known about Nafplio.
Rich history, monuments of exceptional beauty, sea, romantic strolls and great food. Just an hour and a half from Athens, theNafpliois an all-time classic destination for express getaways in every season. It’s a city that enchants you and makes you want to visit again and again. For lovers of Nafplio, we’ve put together a list of some of the most interesting things and sights that many don’t know.
#1The Sleeping Lion of the Bavarians
Between the Church of All Saints and the city’s present-day cemetery, on Michail Iatrou Street, you’ll come across a magnificent lion carved into the rock. The «Sad Lion of Nafplio» or «Lion of the Bavarians» is a sight few know. The enormous sculpture was created by the Bavarian sculptor Christian Heinrich Siegel, modeled on the Lion of Lucerne by Bertel Thorvaldsen. This monument of rare beauty was created more than 180 years ago to pay tribute to the victims of an epidemic of that era.
#2 The steps of Palamidi
The steps of Palamidi are not 999, as legend has it, but 857. It’s even said that the steps were 1,000, but the last one was knocked down by Kolokotronis’s horse. The fortress, built in 1687 by the Venetians at an elevation of 216 meters, is one of Nafplio’s most popular attractions. Whether you drive up or choose to go on foot, the view of the town and the sea from up there is unique.
#3The stairways
Nafplio’s Old Town connects with Acronauplia via the stairways, which begin at the level of Syntagma Square. The stairways define and run through the Psaromachalas quarter - here most picturesque alleys are filled with steps.
#4The fishermen’s quarter
Psaromachalas, the oldest neighborhood and one of the most picturesque spots in Nafplio, is said to have taken its name from the fishermen who lived there since Byzantine times. In today’s Psaromachalas square there once stood an important hospital for the poor, the first established in Greece, an endowment of the Florentine Duke of Athens Nerio Acciaioli. The only trace of this hospital is the little church of the Holy Apostles.
#5The first pharmacy in Greece
In Three Admirals Square operated the first pharmacy in Greece, that of Bonifatius Bonafin, who embalmed the body of Kapodistrias. Also, in this square, roughly where the statue of Otto stands today, there was the Government House or Palataki, one of the city’s most important buildings (built in 1829 to house the offices of the then newly formed Greek government, as well as the residence of Ioannis Kapodistrias), which was destroyed by fire in 1929.
