Methoni and Koroni: the two Venetian castles of Messinia

Heading down towards the south-western tip of the Peloponnese, you come across two fortresses that resemble and complement each other: Methoni and Koroni. For centuries they belonged to the Republic of Venice, which called them Modon and Coron and considered them so strategic that it dubbed them “the eyes of the Republic”: they were the obligatory ports of call on the route to the East.

Methoni

Methoni is just over half an hour's drive from the house. The fortress is huge, spreading across a headland that juts out into the sea, separated from the mainland by a moat crossed by a bridge. You enter through a monumental gate and find yourself inside a citadel: walls, remains of buildings, cisterns, churches, all in a space much larger than you would expect from the outside.

The most photographed feature is the Bourtzi, the octagonal tower built on a rock at the tip of the headland and connected to the fortress by a narrow stone causeway. With the sea on three sides, it is one of those spots that stay with you.

The visit takes a good hour and involves a lot of walking, mostly in the open: a hat and water are a must in the hot months.

Koroni

Koroni is on the other side of the peninsula, overlooking the Messinian Gulf, about an hour and twenty minutes' drive from the house. The fortress here is different: not a fenced archaeological site but a castle that is still inhabited, with houses, vegetable gardens, a monastery and a church inside. You walk among the walls and the homes, and that is what makes it so special.

Below the castle, the village slopes down to the fishing harbour with its colourful boats and seafront. It is one of the prettiest seaside villages in Messinia and justifies the trip on its own, castle aside.

Doing both in one day

Methoni and Koroni can be combined in a single day, but you need to allow for the driving: they are on opposite sides of the peninsula, and the road between them goes inland. If you don't want to spend too long in the car, pick one and give it a full half-day, perhaps adding a stop at the beach along the way.

If you choose to do both, the most convenient order is Methoni in the morning, lunch along the coast and Koroni in the afternoon, when the light on the Messinian Gulf is at its best and the harbour comes to life.

Why Venice cared so much about these two harbours

Modon and Coron were no ordinary outposts. They were the obligatory ports of call on the route from the Adriatic to Crete, Constantinople and the ports of the Levant: here ships took on water, sheltered and waited for a favourable wind to round the tip of the Peloponnese. Whoever controlled these two harbours effectively controlled maritime traffic to the East.

That is why the two fortresses are so large compared with the villages that host them: they were not there to defend a village, but to protect a logistical function. Walking inside Methoni, where the space enclosed by the walls is enormous and largely empty, you notice this disproportion at once.

Beaches along the way

The road south runs along a stretch of coast with some very beautiful beaches, generally less crowded than those around Voidokilia. If you are planning the castles trip, pack your swimsuit: a stop in the middle of the day breaks up the journey nicely and turns a day of sightseeing into a complete day out.

The advice, which holds for all of Messinia, is not to over-plan. The coast roads have endless spots where you can pull over and look down at the sea, and the best part of these days is often the stop you had not planned.

They are two stops that tell the story of a different Messinia from the one of the beaches: one of Mediterranean trade, Venetian sea routes and fortifications that for centuries decided who passed this way.