Observations on the architecture of Thermisi fortification in Argolid from 15th to 18th century

Abstract

The castle of Thermisi was built on a strategic location of Eastern Peloponnese on the abrupt ridge supervising the adjacent salt-ponds and maritime routes of Ermionis in Greece. The fortification consists of the acropolis and an external defensive wall that protects the settlement while residential relics are also lying out of the walling system. Although the first written reference dates back to the fourteenth century with probable anterior historical phases, the castle became subject to important modifications from fifteenth to eighteenth century, changing hands between Byzantines, Venetians and Ottomans. The current essay is based on recent architectural documentation material and ongoing research. It aims to supply with further analysis and detail about the site with emphasis on the post-medieval alterations that molded in a big scale the current form of the fortification. It investigates the defensive character, typology and construction evolution and the specific role that the fortification played in the controlling of salt lakes area, as well as the interrelation with the wider defensive system of the region.