Methoni by drone, Peloponnese | GREECE 🇬🇷

Methoni is a village and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Its name may be derived from Mothona, a mythical rock. It is located 11 km south of Pylos and 11 km west of Foinikounta. The islands are Sapientza, Schiza, and Santa Marina; they form a natural protection for Methoni harbour. The town is also known by the Italian name Modone, which it was called by the Venetians.

Its economy is dominated by tourism, attracted by its beaches (including Tapia, Kokkinia and Kritika) and its historical castle.

Like other Mediterranean coastal settlements, Methoni was probably heavily affected by the tsunami that followed the earthquake in AD 365. Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus wrote that as a result of the earthquake some ships had been "hurled nearly two miles from the shore", giving as an example a Laconian vessel that was stranded "near the town of Methone".

The Republic of Venice had its eye on Methoni (Modon) since the 12th century, due to its location on the route from Venice to the Eastern markets. Under Venetian rule, the town experienced its zenith, becoming an important center for trade with the Levant and enjoying great prosperity. Methoni became an important staging point on the route between Venice and the Holy Lands, and many descriptions of it survive in pilgrims' accounts.

On August 12, 1499, near Modon, the Venetian squadron was defeated in a battle with the Turks. In August 1500, the fortress was captured by Sultan Bayezid II at the head of an army of 100,000. He ordered all male inhabitants to be slaughtered and the women and children to be sold into slavery. The fortress remained in Turkish hands until 1828. It was temporarily under the rule of the Joannites and the Venetians.

On February 24, 1825, an Egyptian fleet of 50 ships under the command of Ibrahim Pasha landed in Modona. In the following months, it became a base for pacifying the Peloponnese, which was covered by the War of Independence. In 1828, the fortress was captured by the interventionist French army.

Historical monuments:

Kástro - the fortress, which is the biggest attraction of Methoni, is one of the best preserved medieval monuments in Europe. It is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and a wide moat separates it from the land on the fourth. A huge gate on the southern edge of the fortress leads to a stone causeway connecting the castle with the tiny islet of Bourtzi.

Bourtzi - a small octagonal castle built by the Turks on the island of the same name. During the Turkish rule, it served as a prison and execution site.

Inousse archipelago - a series of islands south of Methoni consisting of Sapienza, overlooked by a magnificent lighthouse, Agíi Mariani and Schiza, on which there is a cave with dripstone decor.