Culture Minister Lina Mendoni visited Porto Germeno on Wednesday afternoon to assess the impact that the major wildfire which swept through the seaside resort and burned for four consecutive days has had on antiquities in the area, such as the ancient fortress, as well as the Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments of Aigosthena.
According to a statement issued by the culture ministry, the monuments escaped significant damage thanks to the extensive vegetation clearance works that have been systematically carried out by the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica.
The ministry said that the fortress of Aigosthena sustained no major damage to its fortification walls, the restored north-eastern and south-eastern towers, or the churches within the acropolis. However, the wall paintings inside the churches require immediate cleaning. In the northern section of the fortress, the wildfire damaged stone blocks that had been prepared for use in upcoming restoration works.
The blaze also caused damage to the site’s modern infrastructure. The wooden support beams of scaffolding installed along the north-eastern section of the walls were destroyed, affecting the scaffolding itself, the gantry crane, and additional scaffolding stored at a construction site outside the fortress. The electricity and water supply networks, as well as the site offices of the Ephorate of Antiquities, were also damaged.
