01Highlight
360° panoramic view
From the ramparts you take in Argos, the fertile plain, the Argolic Gulf, Mycenae and, on clear days, the mountains of Arcadia.
History
A castle guarding seven thousand years of views
01
Byzantine foundations
The Larissa hill has been inhabited since antiquity, but the first fortification on the summit dates to the 6th century AD. The Byzantines chose the spot because it commands the Argolic plain, the sea and the roads to Corinth and Arcadia. From here, the city of Argos was visible to every approaching enemy.
02
Franks and Venetians
After the Frankish conquest of the 13th century, the lords of Argos strengthened the walls and added towers and cisterns. The Venetians, who held the castle from the 14th century, modernised it with artillery and angled loopholes. The layers of different eras are still visible in the masonry.
03
Ottoman era and liberation
The castle passed to the Ottomans and remained a military outpost until the 19th century. During the Greek Revolution of 1821 it was used as a watchtower and refuge. Today, despite the collapse of parts of the structure, it remains the most emblematic landmark of Argos.
04
A living viewpoint
Although it does not operate as a museum, the castle is open and accessible all year round. Locals climb it for the day, photographers for the sunset, visitors to feel the scale of a city that has nestled at their feet for millennia.
