Hollywood actress, Kate Hudson, has been very vocal about her love for Greece. The actress visits Skiathos island every summer, with her family and parents Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Her family has a house on Skiathos island:
“Greece is my favorite vacation spot; I feel really at home there. I love the culture, the people are wonderful, and the water is just so incredibly appealing, I don’t have a favorite Greek island—they’re all amazing. I love the food, the people, the color of the water;”
Kate and her husband climbed the 999 steps of the Nafplio Fortress of Palamidi. An amazing 17th century fortress of the Peloponnese. The beautiful actress posted a stunning video and photos from Nafplio on her Instagram. Many celebrities have vacationed in Greece this summer: Justin Bieber, Jeff Bezos, Katty Perry, Demi Moore, Daniel Craig, Lionel Richie, Nicole Scherzinger, and many more have visited the Greek islands so far.
The Fortress of Palamidi History
Palamidi (which means castle in Greek) is a fortress in the Peloponnese area of southern Greece, located to the east of the Acronauplia in the town of Nafplio. The Venetians built the castle on the crest of a 216-meter-high hill during their second control of the area (1686–1715).
The fortress was a massive and ambitious undertaking, although it was completed in a relatively short amount of time, from 1711 to 1714. It is a classic baroque castle erected by French military engineer Pierre de la Salle, based on the plans of Venetian architect Antonio Giancix. It was taken by the Turks of Ottoman rule in 1715 and remained in their hands until 1822.
The fortification’s eight bastions were originally named after Venetian provveditori. When the Ottoman Empire conquered it, the bastions were given Turkish names. Finally, once the Greeks defeated the Turks, the bastions were renamed in honour of historic Greek leaders and heroes (Epaminondas, Miltiades, Leonidas, Phocion, Achilles, Themistocles). St. Andrew (Agios Andreas) and the French Philhellene Robert, who perished in battle on the Acropolis of Athens, were given names to the two remaining bastions. The “Miltiades” was used as a prison, and Theodoros Kolokotronis, the hero of the Greek Revolution, was imprisoned within its walls.
The ‘Palamidi’ boasts an amazing view over the Argolic Gulf, Náfplio, and the surrounding countryside. The winding stairs from the town to the fortress has 913 steps. However, there are over a thousand steps to reach the top of the fortress. Greek locals in the town of Nafplion will say that the castle has 999 stairs to the top.
Kate also posted beautiful photos from the cobble stone streets of Nafplio on her Instagram:
