Nafpaktos: Where the Ottoman Empire’s first major naval defeat is reenacted every year

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The beauteous metropolis of Nafpaktos is located adjacent the western extremity of the Corinthian Gulf. It is simply a metropolis and hinterland with a affluent and past history, its settlements stretching from Classical Greece done Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman eras to modern Greece.

Its fortifications are mentioned by Thucydides. Formerly known by its Latin sanction Lepanto, the metropolis gave its sanction to the celebrated naval conflict of the aforesaid name. Every year the modern metropolis celebrates its transportation to the conflict with a re-enactment. It was my pleasance to visit Nafpaktos astatine this time, learning much astir its past and culture.

Nafpaktos today and yesterday

We had recovered ourselves erstwhile again successful this beauteous provincial city, the location not lone of overmuch affluent past but the main metropolis whose hinterland was the erstwhile location of the Kyritsis’ and the Kokkinos’ clans, my spouse Vicki’s family. Anyone who has been to Nafpaktos, adjacent briefly, will beryllium struck by its quiescent quality and easiness of familiarity.

One is evidently taken by the Venetian harbour – reflective of so galore others crossed the Mediterranean from Chania to Kyrenia – looking retired connected to the calm waters of the Gulf and surrounded by its cobbled streets and the remains of galore neoclassical buildings.

Its past is besides revealed successful some the past sanctuary of Asclepius and the expansive Castro sitting supra the metropolis – whose past stretches from its days arsenic the section Acropolis to its beingness arsenic a large fortified castle, swinging betwixt Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman rulers – visible time and nighttime arsenic the mislaid guardian of the city.

Most modern time visitors can’t but beryllium successful awe of the caller Charilaos Trikoupis bridge, named successful honour of 1 of Greece’s much memorable 19th period governmental leaders, whose large span covers the entranceway to the Gulf betwixt Nafpaktos and Patras to the south. The span is simply a reminder of the value of connection and the easiness with which you execute it today. Whether we thrust crossed the span oregon use our mobile phones to link with friends connected either side, we tin hardly admit the vital relation of the oversea and seafaring to the beingness of the portion down to the caller past.

Spiro Kokkinos, 1 of my spouse Vicki’s relatives successful our location successful the beauteous adjacent village of Monastiraki, tells maine 1 nighttime of however his seaside village was founded galore years agone by the request of locals from surrounding upland villages to transverse the Gulf successful hunt of customers for their superior produce. Some of these villages – such arsenic Vicki’s parent Helen’s location town of Klima – would beryllium totally abandoned. They would bring their goods by donkey and equine to the enactment and transverse successful barges oregon cacique boats (later steel hulled and steam motor vessels) adjacent up to the years instantly pursuing the extremity of the Second World War when the ferries of Rio-Antirio replaced them. Villages crossed the Gulf needed its waters to survive, sustaining their lives and connecting them to the world. This was nary antithetic successful the past, including when the large fleets of empires past gathered successful is waters.

The Battle of Lepanto

The conflict of Lepanto represents 1 of those large turning points successful history. Fought connected 7 October 1571 where the Gulf opens into the Ionian Sea, it was past large naval engagements involving rowed vessels and the archetypal large naval decision of the Ottoman Empire.

The conflict saw the Ottoman fleet led by Admiral Ali Pasha defeated by the Holy League, an confederation of western Christian powers. Though outnumbered successful terms of vessels, the Holy league had a large technical vantage successful the quantity of guns and ammunition arsenic well arsenic the beingness of Venetian galleass warring ships – efficaciously accelerated moving, manoeuvrable weapon platforms.

The Holy League fleet was led by Don John of Austria, member of the Holy Roman Emperor, but the largest contingent of ships were supplied by Venice, on with two experienced naval commanders – Admirals Sebastiano Venier and Agostino Barbarigo. Not lone did astir of the warring vessels trace their plan backmost to the past Greek triremes but thousands of Hellenes took portion successful the battle, galore dragooned into Ottoman work arsenic slaves.

The ensuing conflict was a triumph for the Holy League. The aggravated warring saw Spanish and Venetian soldiers successful manus to manus combat with the Ottoman janissaries. It was when the Ottoman Admiral was killed and his flagship captured that the morale of the remaining Ottoman fleet was broken. In the extremity astir 180 Ottoman vessels were sunk oregon captured and 35,000 force troops captured oregon killed. Thousands of Christian slaves were besides freed arsenic a effect of the battle.

The conflict confirmed to the West that the Ottomans could beryllium defeated. The adjacent Ionian Islands, with their overwhelmingly Hellenic populations, were nary longer threatened by Ottoman invasion. Along with the decision astatine the siege of Vienna 50 years earlier, the Ottoman conquest of Europe was astatine an extremity and would yet decline.

Nafpaktos celebrates Lepanto

The solemnisation takes spot successful the small harbour itself, its calm waters forming the stage for the re-enactment. The story of the conflict and its protagonists is told successful a theatrical production, with boats, actors, euphony from the era, a light-show and ending with a spectacular fireworks display. The lawsuit is staged each year successful aboriginal October.

We awaited for the solemnisation to statesman astatine our harbour broadside edifice table with an fantabulous view and were joined by household and friends – Jenny and Lakis Kyritsis, Arthor Apos and Petros Psoumis – who had made the trip crossed the span from Patras to articulation us. It was not agelong earlier the harbour broadside was pumping, hundreds were crowded astir the small harbour, young and old, section and tourist, for the large event. The harbour was bedecked with flags representing the Holy League. The large streaming emblem of the Lion of St Mark, the symbol of Venice flew again implicit Nafpaktos.

The solemnisation did not disappoint. As the sun went down implicit the harbour, the aerial was filled with euphony of the era, alternating betwixt eastbound and western songs, arsenic coloured lights bathed the aged stones of the harbour. Actors dressed successful costumes from the epoch rushed to their places astatine the harbour entranceway arsenic the opening approached. With trumpets and fanfare the spectacular lawsuit commenced, with two theatrical representations of the warships of the epoch – 1 of the Holy League and the different Ottoman – began to determination crossed the harbour from other sides. The fig and words of Cervantes, the famed Spanish writer of Don Quixote and a veteran of the battle, made an quality and crossed into the harbour.

Soon each was occurrence and airy arsenic the two ships engaged successful mock conflict representing the clash of the two expansive navies. Actors representing soldiers could beryllium seen warring arsenic the ships clashed successful combat. Lights and fireworks erupted crossed the harbour and successful the sky supra arsenic the conflict reached its crescendo with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture doing the honours arsenic the finale approached to the cheers of the crowd. The whole lawsuit lasted implicit 2 thrill-packed hours. There was thing near but to proceed our solemnisation with some section Mamos brew and ouzo!

Nafpaktos Castle and Museum

If you visit Nafpaktos I tin highly urge the caller humanities depository astatine Nafpaktos Castle. Recently fixed a large overhaul and opened by Greek Culture Minister Mendoni, the displays – housed crossed two buildings – diagnostic informative accusation boards and displays of archaeological and different humanities artefacts stretching backmost from Ancient Greece done each the eras of the metropolis and portion to the modem day. There are beauteous displays of Byzantine coins and architectural motifs, astonishing Venetian glazed pottery and medals celebrating different section Venetian victories implicit the Ottomans and overmuch more.

I was struck by the show explaining the Jewish past of Nafpaktos, which successful the 17th period had three synagogues. It was besides informative to work however the castle ruins were location to refugees pursuing the Asia Minor catastrophe. And of people the castle is worth the agelong walk up its cobbled steps to the top for its spectacular views of Nafpakto and the large Gulf beyond.

Some Lepanto Legacies

The yearly solemnisation of the victory of Lepanto astatine Nafpaktos continues a agelong European tradition. In 1585 King James VI of Scotland wrote a thousand enactment epic poem entitled The Lepanto that was translated into galore languages. A week oregon so earlier the re-enactment we saw the large depictions of the conflict successful immense paintings connected the walls of Venice, 1 hanging successful the Doges Palace, the different successful the adjacent Correr Museum. Ali Pasha’s flagship banner hangs successful Pisa.

One of the lesser appreciated legacies is that the sanction of Lepanto veteran – the Venetian Admiral Sebastiano Venier – would beryllium fixed to an Axis transport that was torpedoed disconnected the erstwhile Venetian outpost of Methone arsenic it brought Allied prisoners crossed the Mediterranean successful WW2. A fewer years agone I assisted successful the installation of a commemorative plaque successful designation of this tragedy astatine Methone. The bequest of Lepanto has galore forms.

*Jim Claven OAM is simply a trained historian, freelance writer and published writer who has researched the Anzac trail successful Greece crossed some world wars. The writer of a fig of books connected the Hellenic nexus to Anzac, Jim besides studied Ancient and Medieval past astatine Melbourne’s Monash University. He is besides the Associate Producer of the caller documentary Anzac The Greek Chapter connected the Greek campaign. Read much astir the Sebastiano Veneiro commemorative plaque here. He tin beryllium contacted via email – j[email protected].

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