STRATEGIKON of Athens - The castle of Monemvasia

The name 'Monemvasia' came from the Greek words 'Mone emvasis' that means 'the only entrance'. This name was first mentioned by St. Willibald, Bishop of Eichstaett who describes it as 'city of Manafasia'. Its Venetian name was 'Napoli di Malvasia', the Latin was 'Neapolis Malvasiae', the French 'Naples de Malvasie', the Arab 'Benefsie' and the Turkish 'Menekschse' which means the city of violets'.

Pict. 1: 'Malvasia' engraving Coronelli

The first appellation for this place was 'Minoa' and dates from the Minoan period; it was a fort and defended the bay of the region Epidauros-Limera. Yet Pausanias in his 'Hellados periegesis' (Guide to Greece), did not mention about the city.

Monemvasia founded at the years of emperor's Maurikios in 583, when the population of the region were searching to found a shelter from the raids of Avars and Slavs. It was built on a rock and the only passage to it was a narrow strip of land. Thus many people named Monemvasia 'the greek Gibraltar'.

Pict. 2: Western gate

Because of the nature of this rock, the city was divided to two sections. The Lower city and the Upper city. The last was in fact unassailable so in many parts of its perimeter there was no need for fortification.

The only problem of the people of the Upper city, when were in danger, was food supply. The road leading to the upper city, was constructed in such way to protect its defenders and to stop the enemies who where coming from the Lower city.

It is important to mention the admiration of the Turkish historical traveler, Evliya Celebi when he describes the defense system of Monemvasia during his visit to Peloponnesos.

Monemvasia resisted the attacks of Avars and Slavs, Arabs, Normands, Crusaders and Franks of the Morea's Principality. Finally in 1249 after a three-years siege by Venetians and the Frank Geoffrey de Villehardouin, prince of Achaia, the city surrendered because of famine. In 1260, Guillaume Villehardouin during a campaign against Konstantinos Palaiologos the 8th lost the battle, captured and after three years in prison he forced to gave back the castle to the Byzantines.

Pict. 4: Southern wall

In 1460, Monemvasia was the only region of the Greek European territory not yet controlled by the Turks. The help from the Catalan mercenaries (Lopez de Baltaja) and from the Papal state (Pius II) was ineffective so the people of Monemvasia asked to be under the protection of Venice. In 1540 after a treaty between Venice and Suleyman the Magnificent, the city surrendered and remained under the Turkish rule until 1690. In this time Monemvasia resisted one attack from St. John's Knights and four attacks from the Venetians. At the last siege because of famine again, the city surrender to the Venice.

In 1715, at the start of a turkish siege, the Venetian podesta Federigo Badoer, surrendered without a fight to the Turks and so the city remained under their control until the liberation of Greece in 1821.

Briefly, we have the following historical periods for the city:
583 - 1249 Greeks of Byzantine Empire
1249 - 1263 Franks of Achaia Principality
1263 - 1460 Greeks of Byzantine Empire / Despotat of Mystra
1460 - 1464 Catalans, Papal state
1464 - 1540 Democracy of Venice
1540 - 1690 Ottoman Empire
1690 - 1715 Democracy of Venice
1715 - 1821 Ottoman Empire
1821 Greece.

Pict. 5: General view from the upper 'Tapia'.

Konstantinos Konstantoulakis

Bibliografy:

Monemvasia - The town and its history, Rainer W. Klaus, Ulrich Steinmuller (and Lawrence P. Buck in English version), 1977.

The history of the Frankocracy in Greece; 1204-1566, William Miller, publ. 'P.S.Papakonstantinou'

Many thanks to A.S the 'fair lady' and my brother Fotis who helped me to correct the english text. (As they said, I assasinated the English language).