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761 Corydon Avenue
Location Map
Bourdzi, an island fortress in Nauplion's harbour (Greece). If you like Sergio's artwork, there's lots more inside the restaurant!
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Location: N side bet. Cockburn & Arbutnot; patio; South Face
Occupant: Kristina's on Corydon
District: Fort Rouge
Neighbourhood: McMillan
Artist(s): Sergio Betto
Year: 2003
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Kristina's on Corydon's owner, Yvonne Nakoulas wanted a Mural on her patio that was
reminiscent of her hometown in Greece. So she and daughter Kristina contacted Muralist
Sergio Betto, which whom they've had the pleasure of dealing with before (several of
Sergio's abstract paintings grace the restaurant interior).
Nauplion is a moderate size town in the mid eastern Peloponnese of
Greece. It is located in a 'picture perfect' place on the Argolic Gulf with its rocky shores
slipping into calm blue water. It was the first capital of Greece in 1828. Its charm today
is checkered with its history of violence and destruction, bloody conflicts, massacres and
pillage. For millennia, each successive invader and ruler of that place left its mark so that
today, Nauplion is a creation of the collective cultures that have passed through it. In
ancient Greek Mythology, Nauplios was the hero of ancient Naplion (Naplia), and son of
the sea god Poseidon; and he became a brave seafarer and an excellent astronomer.
The Mural scene is that of Bourdzi (a Turkish word meaning 'fortress of the sea'), a
Venetian fortress founded on a rock that rises from the sea at the entrance to the town's
sheltered harbour, and is one of Nauplion's most distinctive features. It was built in 1473
in typical Renaissance construction by architect Antonio Cambello and military engineer
Brancaleone. The tall tower at the centre of the castle was the last part that was built.
Combined with the town fortresses of Acronauplia (a series of castles and walled
fortifications on the high ground of the town) and Palamidi Bastions (8 in all, also on
high ground), the town was well protected.
Bourdzi remained in use as a fortress for the town until the mid 19th century, when it
became the residence of the 'executioners' in the Palamidi prison. Since 1930, it has
functioned either as a hotel, a restaurant or a venue for cultural events as well as a
popular tourist attraction.
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