Despite the onslaught of the wildfire that struck the Porto Germeno area last week, the archaeological site of Aigosthena appears to have avoided losses.
After an inspection by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, authorities said the ancient fortress walls and two restored towers at the southeastern and northeastern corners survived without serious damage. Churches inside the acropolis showed no structural problems, although their wall paintings were affected by smoke and require cleaning.
The fire destroyed part of the stone blocks gathered for planned restoration work in the fortress’ northern section, a setback expected to complicate the project. Greater damage was reported to modern facilities supporting restoration efforts. Wooden scaffold beams, construction equipment, stored scaffolding, a crane bridge, electricity and water networks, and archaeology service offices were damaged.
Aigosthena, overlooking the end of the Corinthian Gulf, remained in use from antiquity through the post-Byzantine period.
