Bourtzi (Nafplio)
| Bourtzi | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Waters |
Argolic Gulf : Órmos Nafplíou (Bay of Nafplio) |
|
| Geographical location | 37 ° 34 '11 " N , 22 ° 47' 26" E | |
|
||
| length | 120 m | |
| width | 43 m | |
| surface | 0.4 ha | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
 |
||
Bourtzi ( Greek Μπούρτζι ( n. Sg. ), Via Turkish (burc) from Arabic برج, DMG burǧ , 'tower', 'fort', this presumably from ancient Greek πύργος pyrgos , German 'tower' ; also Καστέλλι Kastelli , German 'Kastell' and Θαλασσόπυργος Thalassopyrgos , German 'sea tower' ) is the name of a small island in the port entrance of the Greek city of Nafplio and the fortress on it ( island castle ), from which the island got its name. Bourtzi is considered the city's landmark .
The islet is about 120 meters long and 43 meters at its widest point, with an area of 0.4 hectares . It is almost completely covered by the fortress of the same name. The distance to the mainland is 400 meters.
For the Republic of Venice , which Nafplio had conquered in 1389, Antonio Gambello first built a tower on the island in 1473; At the end of the 17th century - after Nafplio was conquered again by the Ottomans in 1696 - the rest of the fortress was built in its present form. At that time a chain was stretched overnight from Bourtzi to the mainland, which was supposed to protect the port from the entry of foreign ships; hence the Italian name Porto della Catena 'chain port' for Nafplio. After the city was conquered again by the Ottomans in 1715, they connected the island to the mainland with a dam. During the Greek Revolution , Nafplio was conquered by Greek troops in 1822; During the short time Nafplio was the capital of Greece, the revolutionary government was temporarily housed on the island. It continued to serve as a fortress until 1865, after which it was a prison for those sentenced to death and the seat of the executioner of Nafplio. From 1930 to 1970 there was a hotel with a restaurant in the fortress.
Today Bourtzi is one of the sights of Nafplio. Cultural events take place on the island in summer.
literature
- Richard Speicher: Südgriechenland: Art and Travel Guide, Volume 2 Peloponnes, Stuttgart et al. (Kohlhammer) 1980, ISBN 3-17-005395-7 , p. 134
