Metoni Castle on Peloponnese

Metoni Fortress or, as it is often called, modong – located on the southwestern tip of Peloponnese and is one of the brightest and memorable attractions of the Mesignine region. In our personal hit parade of places from the list of Must See on Peloponnese, it firmly enters 10 most interesting, so we could not bypass the story about this Venetian port. Within the framework of the article, we tried to collect and place in the order of chronology the history of the fortress, to tell about the most interesting fortifications in its territory, but did not bypassed the history of the town itself, where it is located. But let’s start the article by tradition with useful information: how to get there when open how many tickets cost.

Venetian Fortress Modon in Metoni

Information for visiting the fortress in the meton

The Fortress Modon is open for tourists daily except Monday, but as in all Greek sights there are several work schedules:

• November 01 – March 31: 08: 00-15: 00
• April 01 – August 31: 08: 00-20: 00
• September 1 – September 15: 08: 00-19: 30
• September 15 – September 30: 08: 00-18: 00

Opening hours and the cost of visiting the Metoni Fortress

The price of the ticket, indicated at the entrance – 2 €. But we did not find any controllers, so without any remorse went for free. Judging by the reviews of other tourists, money for tickets there is still no one takes. Perhaps in the summer tourist season, the situation somehow changes and a cashier appears.

In winter, the cass of the fortress is empty, but perhaps in the summer for the entrance will have to pay

Located a fortress on a small braid at the very tip of the Peloponnese, so if you got to the city of Metoni, then you just need to go to the side of the sea, and you get into the gate and the fortress wall. We drove from the town of Koroni along the coast and were able to admire the fortress from the side, but the road is not very good there, it is better to enter from the central street.

View of the fortress Modon from the beach

Tourists are usually visited, who rest in Pilos and Kalamate, so we describe how to get to the Fortress Modon from these cities. From Pilos in the meton, only 11 km along the excellent asphalt track, you can get to a taxi or a rented car for 10-15 minutes or by bus in 20-30 minutes. Ktel buses depart from the central station of Pilos to Metoni 4-5 times a day. Ticket price will be € 2-3. In addition, local tourist companies in Pilos offer ready-made excursions to the castles of Metoni and Koroni.

From Kalamata to the metony in a straight line 65 kilometers, but if you drive and watch Koroni Castle, then kilometers of 90. By car, the road will take a little more than an hour, by bus almost 2.5 hours. Just like in Pilos, local tourist companies offer ready-made excursion tours.

History of the town of Metoni

The city of Metoni in Messina repeatedly changed not only its owners (here the Turks and Frank, and the Greeks, and Venetians), but also their name. To the Trojan War, which occurred at the turn of the XIII-XII centuries BC, the town was known as the pedas. If you believe Homer, it was one of the seven cities that the Miktensky king Agamemenon presented Achillu to smooth the quarrel and pacify the wrath of the last.

Walls and Central Entrance to the Metoni Fortress

An impressive citadel protects the fortress from sushi

At the end of the VIII century, Spartans came to the city. As you know, most of the kneading was released from Spartans in 370 BC.NS., But Metoni is less lucky – he remained dependent on Sparta up to 338 to our era. In the second century BC.NS. The city received autonomy from the Roman Empire.

Wide ditch appeared in the meton in the XV century during the restructuring of the fortress

Then the story of the Metoni Until the XII century, our era is somehow lost. It is known that the city flourished in the time of Byzantium, a successful strategic location allowed the city to develop and disappear from the face of the earth.

Double row of outdoor walls

Walls Fortress Modon in Metoni

And then with regular frequency, the city passed from hand to hand. In 1124, the Metoni came to the Venetians who renamed the city in Modon. And from this point on, the history of the fortress begins, at least that part of it, which has been preserved to the present day and is one of the brightest sights of Messia.

Venetian granite column 1493

A column of granite on the main square of the fortress "Piazza d’Armi"

History of Fortress Modon

Fortress Modon is among the most famous and important fortresses of Greece. It was built by Venetians at the beginning of the XIII century years on the site of the ancient Acropolis of the Metoni, built in the VII century to our era. Antique Acropolis destroyed French crusaders for those four years, during which they occupied Koroni and Metoni. In 1209, the city again moved to the Venetians, who built the Fortress Modon, which was preserved to the present day.

According to one source in the foreground of the bath, on the other mosque, the church is visible from behind

Construction of fortresses Modon and Koroni allowed the Venetians to take control of the entire trade in a considerable part of the Mediterranean. The Senate of the Venetian Republic recognized the importance of fortresses and proudly melded them by "Venice’s eyes". Fortress Modon turned into a large port, which was equally well fortified and from the sea and sushi. Very quickly, the Metoni Castle became one of the centers of Venetian possessions in Greece, an important reference point to combat pirates, as well as an excellent repair base for the military and merchant fleet of the Republic.

Southeast Tower that defended the fortress from the sea

View from the southeastern tower on the Bourzi prison fortress

Some of the gates of the fortress, which led to the sea

At the beginning of the XIV century, the threat from the Turks Anatoly is becoming increasingly noticeable in the region. In 1337, the Turks took several attempts to capture Modon and Koroni, but not very successful. However, in order to somehow secure yourself, the Venetians agree to pay the tribute to the Turks. But not only the Turks were interested in this territory: in the 40s of the XIV century, the Metoni began to show interest and Byzantine Monoviasia.

A lot of pirates have appeared in the waters, and by the middle of the century, war broke out at all between the venetians and the Genoesers. The aggravation of the conflict led to the fact that it was decided – from now on, Venetian commercial vessels can walk only by a single squadron under the protection of the convoy. Points of formation of the squadron and convoy became Modon and Koroni, which even more increased their significance in the region.

Interior wall that shared the southern and northern parts of the fortress

Ruins of fortifications Fortress Modon

Element takes out historical stones to themselves every year

Some forts are restored and look quite decent

In the XV century, the appearance of the fashion was seriously changed: the high observation tower disappeared, bastions and powerful walls came to shift. The fortress began to have a multi-coronal form, each of the faces of which was good strengthened so that the enemy could be fired, while himself is under reliable defense. In addition, the side of the sushi was dug wide pivops that efforts her defense.

Metoni Fortress in 1487

Strengthening and restructuring the fortress happened very on time, because by the end of the XV century above the fashioned, a new threat in the form of the Ottoman Empire. During the Turkish-Venetian War at the end of the summer of 1500, Bayazid II broke the Venetians in the battle at Modne and after a long siege took the Modon Fortress.

Metoni entered the Ottoman Empire, and the fortress was again changed. In 1500-1573 on the rocky island, the beautiful octagonal tower Bourzi, which is now a visiting card of the meton. The tower was used not only for the defense of the harbor, but also as a prison.

Access to the bourgey tower

In the storm bridge to the tower Bourzi often covers water

Bourzi in Fortress Modon

In 1685-1686, the Venetians returned themselves control over the Fortress Modon, but already in 1715 she was lost again. At the end of the XVIII century, Russians have appeared in the history of the Metona fortress – which war without ours :). In the midst of the Russian-Turkish event of the Russian Fleet squadron under the command of Count Orlov arrived at Peloponnese to support the rebeling Greeks. And in 1770, the united Russian-Greek army under the command of the same Count Orlova sieged down the Metoni and tried to take the fortress. But the defeat was defeated – the Russians did not land in the Fortress of Modon, but during the siege of the walls received serious damage.

The most intestagne view of the Metoni Fortress

During the Greek revolution, the fortress returned to the Greeks. In March 1821, Greek bishop Gregory Metonsky headed the siege and already in August, the Turks surrendered, handing the keys from the fortress and the contract of surrender in August. But the Greek period of the Fortress Modon lasted not long – in April 1825, the fortress was taken by the Egyptians led by the Turkish-Egyptian Admiral Ibrahim Pasha. Bishop Gregory was sharpened in prison at the fortress, and the castle itself became the admiral residence.

The church in the Fortress Modh is partially renovated

After the defeat of the Turkish fleet in the Navarino Battle (1828) the French settled in the modern. The expedition building of General Meson re-delayed the city and repaired the fortress. It was at that time that modern Metoni appeared, which is located away from the fortress. In 1833, the Fortress Modon and the city of Metoni entered the Kingdom of Greece.

Most of the territory of the fortress overgrown with grass

Nowadays, the fortress has become a popular tourist object, but there is no such licked purity here, as in the fortress of neocatros in pylos, and sometimes there is a feeling that they were abandoned. The Modon Fortress covers an area of ​​93,000 square meters and is divided into two parts. The northern part is a citadel that defended the fortress from sushi, in the south part there were main city buildings.

Little tourists pull the paths along the way to the Bourzi fortress and other important objects

Even the former central street paved by stones

Unfortunately, now recognize where among the ruins church, mosque or bastion is quite difficult. Explanatory information shields a little, and the main territory denounced the grass, at least during our visit in the winter of 2017, things were so. However, the place is very interesting and colorful, it is equally like and lovers of historical places with classical museums and those who prefer abandoned places. If you relax somewhere in the face, we recommend getting to this interesting attractions and admire it by Venetian Chic, Byzantine accuracy and Ottoman beauty, all this is very successful in one place – Modon Fortress in Metoni.