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The castle from the town of Argos
History/Description: Argos held out against the Frankish invaders until 1212, when it was given to Othon de la Roche. It escaped conquest by the Catalans, but the Venetians purchased it in 1388, from Maria d'Enghein. Before they could take control, Despot Theodore I seized it and the Argolid peninsula, and denied the Venetians until 1394 [09 p.105, n.26]. They held it against the Turks until 1460. There is also plenty of classical masonry visible on the site: most of the fortifications are probably medieval, with the exception of an artillery emplacement in the N. wall. George Jarvis, an American philhellene during the War of Independence, records some fierce fighting around here in 1822.
Directions: There is rumoured to be a footpath from the edge of the city of Argos to the castle, but its a long walk. A surer alternative is to get a local taxi from the city, they will normally do a deal where they return in one hour.
Sources:
Medieval and older, classical walls.
Medieval and older material in the walls.
Towers.
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Unless otherwise stated, the text, images and design of this site are (c) the author. This page last updated 7 Jan 2007