Η αρχαία Επίδαυρος Λιμηρά ως βενετσιάνικο κάστρο σε έγγραφα των βενετικών αρχείων
Part of : Δελτίον της Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας ; Vol.44, 2005, pages 199-206
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199-206
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Ancient Epidaurus Limera as a Venetian Fort in the State Archive of Venice
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By 1688 the Venetian forces under Morosini had conquered the whole of the Péloponnèse, except for the Rock of Monemvasia. The Ottoman Turks were sheltered safely there, launching repeated raids from which the Venetians and the villagers suffered. In a series of unpublished dispacci, i.e. reports addressed by Giacomo Corner, Proweditor General of the Morea to the Doge Morosini and the Senate, in the series 'Provveditori da Terra e da Mar' in the State Archive of Venice, there are descriptions of the situation in the area around Monemvasia from 1688 to 1689 and of the efforts to make the siege of Monemvasia more effective. Morosini proposed that a fort be built at the exit of the bridge. The engineer Giovanni Leonardo Mauro proposed the erection of two forts, one about 1 mile distant from the bridge, on the road leading to Vatica, at the locality Frangiàs, and the other on the road leading to Molai, at Santa Chiriaki. These would have had better views and control of the Rock and the bridge. Later, however, this plan was considered too difficult to implement and Mauro submitted another proposal, to turn the fortifications of the ruined an cient city of Epidauros Limera into a fort suitable for the siege against the Turks on Monemvasia. His proposal was accompanied by a plan (Fig. 2) and a report giving some details of the advantages of this site and the necessary works to be carried out. The plan was approved and its implementation commenced. In the meantime, however, information arrived that the Turks had nominated the Maniot Liberakis, a well-known enemy of Venice, as 'Bey' of the Mani, and in May 1689 Morosini ordered the temporary abandonment of the plan to re-use Epidauros Limera. In its stead, he ordered that work proceed immediately on Mauro's original plan for two forts near the bridge. It is this plan that was implemented and the project was completed in 1689, as shown in a drawing which Coronelli dedicated to Antonio Moli, Provveditor Straordinario of the Morea (Fig. 3). The drawing also shows a third, small fort, situated at the exit of the bridge, and the small deserted monastery higher up in the hills, where Molin spent the months from September 1689 till June 1690, when the siege of Monemvasia became tighter, leading to its capitulation in August the same year.
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