Nafpaktos is an ancient city in western Greece with a history spanning 3500 years. Due to its strategic location on the Gulf of Corinth, it has played an important cultural and historical role, and has frequently changed hands between various powers throughout its existence. Most recently, it was ruled by the Venetians, Ottomans, and was finally liberated and incorporated into modern Greece in 1829 after the Greek War of Independence.

1. A city of 3500 years

3.  Nafpaktos is a town in
Western Greece, situated on
a bay on the north coast of
the Gulf of Corinth.
 Nafpaktos is now both the
name of the municipality and
of the town. The municipal
district has a population
close to 20,000.
 The town is 9 km northeast
of Antirrio and 18 km
northeast of Patras.

4.  The ancient name Nafpaktos
(Ναύπακτος) means "boatyard" (from
ναύς naus "ship" and πήγνυμι "to fix").
 By the late medieval period, the local
name had evolved into Nepahtos,
Epaktos or Epahtos.
 By the Latins it was called Nepant or
Lepant. Venetian sources give
Nepanto or Lepanto.
 The original ancient name was
revived in modern Greece in the 19th
century.

5.  In its 3500 year history, from
the descent of the Dorians to
this day, Nafpaktos has always
played an important role in
history as well as in culture.
 The founding of the ancient
city is lost in the centuries,
where it is hard to identify
where myth ends and history
begins.

6.  Nafpaktos’ strategic position in
the Corinthian Gulf was the
reason that made it “the apple of
discord” among the powerful
throughout history.
 Lokri, Athenians, Messenians,
Achaeans, Thebans,
Macedonians and Aetolians
alternate in the city’s leadership
throughout centuries.

7.  After the Greco-Persian Wars
it fell into the power of the
Athenians.
 During the Peloponnesian
War it was the headquarters
of the Athenians in all their
operations in Western
Greece.

8.  The statue of Nike (victory) that was sculptured by
Paionios, was a dedication of the Nafpaktians and
the Messenians after their victory over the
Spartans in Sfaktiria in 421 B.C.
 It is considered to be a masterpiece of ancient
Greek sculpture.
 The monumental statue is 10.92 meters tall and it
represents the winged goddess full of life as she’s
coming down of mount Olympus to announce the
victory of the two allies.
 It is the first time in the history of Greek sculpture
where the illusion of flying is depicted.

9.  During the Roman period
Aetolia went into decline and
there aren’t any records of
Nafpaktos’ status for this
period.
 Nevertheless, archaeological
findings reveal a fully
organized city with public roads
and private buildings all built
during the Roman era within
the city centre.

10.  In the post Christian
centuries, due to barbaric
invasions (Visigoths, Huns,
Normans, Slavs, Bulgarians
and others), disasters such as
earthquakes and others,
Nafpaktos passed to obscurity
for many centuries.

11.  The city bounced back dynamically into
the spotlight after 1204, when it was a
part of the Principality of Epirus.
 In 1407 Nafpaktos was conquered by the
Venetians, and met a period of
embellishment and prosperity; it became
a commercial centre that competed
Patra’s commercial motion. During this
period the castle was restored and took on
the form we see today.

12.  After the Venetians it was Ottoman
Empire’s turn to rule the Balkans.
 After repeated attacks from the
Turks the city surrendered to
Soultan Vagiazit II in 1499.
 For the protection of Nafpaktos the
Turks built two forts at the entrance
of the Corinthian gulf, Rio and
Antirrio, called the “small
Dardanellians”.

13.  The constant expansion of the
Ottomans forced the leaders of the
European countries to unite in
order to face the threat.
 After continual effort, Pope Pius V
succeeded in creating the Holy
League (Sacra Liga Antiturca).
 Spain, Venice, Rome, Savoy, Malta
and some other Italian states
gathered to a sacred crusade to cut
off the Ottomans’ expansion.

14.  The Christian fleet with Don Juan
Prince of Spain, the King’s brother as
fleet admiral and the Ottoman fleet
with Moezin Zante Ali Pasha as fleet
admiral had an incredible naval battle
on October7, 1571 on the outfall of the
Achelous River near Echinades that
remained in history as the Battle of
Lepanto.

15.  The victory of the Christian fleet
was a milestone for the further
course of Western civilization.
 After the battle many pirates
from the Mediterranean
gathered in the area turning
Nafpaktos into a “small Algiers”.

16.  In 1687 the Venetian Morozini along
with the Austrian allies took
Nafpaktos from the Turks and
turned her over to the Venetians.
 A second small period of Venetian
rule followed (1687-1701).
 In 1701 Nafpaktos was surrendered
to the Turks again according to the
Treaty of Karlowitz and was
enslaved until April 1829.

17.  When the Greek revolution broke out
in 1821 Nafpaktos became a Turkish
military base because of its strong
fortifications.
 This is the reason why Nafpaktos was
freed in the last year of the revolution.
 On April 18, 1829 as the Turks and
Albanians were unable to withstand
the siege they surrendered Nafpaktos
to the Greek governor Ioannis
Kapodistrias.

18.  After its release, Augustine
Kapodistrias brother of Governor
Kapodistrias developed significant
activity and settled the administrative
and military organization.
 Nafpaktos and the surrounding area
came into a period of free life in the
newly founded Greek State.