Sept. 3

Photo: Nafplion Beach

Day 07

Today we visited a medieval castle near Nafplion named Palamidi Fortress. It has a long and complex history. It has been controlled by the Byzantines, Franks, Venetians, Ottomans, and Greeks. It was the first truly medieval structure that I have had the privilege to interact with. Some of it was difficult to get around in because the fortress is built into the side of a mountain. Then we visited Epidaurus which was the center for the cult of the Greek god of healing. It was also the first school of medicine. It also has the best preserved ancient theater in all of Greece. A couple of us performed there so the rest of the group could hear the acoustics. Our journal assignment was to reconstruct the site in writing and sketches back to its former glory. We learned some interesting things like in order to be treated by the doctors, a patient would be bitten by the sacred snakes and only treated when comatose. [that’s one way to do it] After an afternoon break at the beach the group met our Prof in the Syntagma Square of Nafplion. The Square is the heart of the city. We spent two hours figuring out why it was so important and describing the flow of traffic and various other things. Prof thinks the Square is a perfect example of an “Urban Room”.