For the celebration of October 28th this year in Nafplio, in Remembrance of the World War II, apart from the religious celebrations and official program of events (see end of the article), we propose two exceptional options to commemorate the epic of the 1940s in Greece, which was written in blood, but also in golden letters in this country.
Nafplio was invaded by the Germans in the afternoon of April 28th 1941. The occupation of Nafplio by the German army lasted until the end of the war, approximately 1200 days.
The 8th Regiment left Nafplio on November 3rd 1940 for the war front. It ranked 700 officers and non-commissioned officers, 3,171 soldiers and 959 animals ordered to the Argolis. Mainly from its soldiers, important testimonies about the hardships, the battles, but also excellent descriptions of high symbolic importance, were saved. Hiking hundreds of kilometers was the order of the day and the wild winter was an even worse enemy than the Italians, who first attacked the Greek-Albanian borders.
Mr. G. Nanopoulos (served in the Model Regiment of Evzones Makrygiannis - Athens), was presented in the 8th Regiment of Nafplio and fought in the central sector of the front. He is today the only surviving fighter in Argolis.
Check out our two suggestions below - it's really worth going!
It's worth visiting the War Museum of Nafplio these days, which offers free admission every October 28th! At its entrance, take note of the bust of Vassilios Vrachnos (Nafplio 1887 - Athens, March 7th 1971), the Nafplio-born hero who served as a Major General in the Greco-Italian War and as Deputy Minister of the Interior during the Papagos government.
The War Museum of Nafplio has two floors, on which it thematically presents the struggles of the Greek Nation. The Nafplio annex was inaugurated on November 27th 1988 and is housed in the first building of the "Evelpidon" Military School, established by the Great Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias in 1828. The Museum is under the jurisdiction of the Military Museum headquartered in Athens, and it serves as its first branch. Visitors can explore the history of the "Evelpidon" Military School and the recent history of Greece, with a particular focus on the participation of the residents of Argolis in the struggles of the Greek Nation, from the Greek Revolution to the liberation from occupation forces.
In the War Museum of Nafplio, in a specially designed room, there are the names of the Nafplians, who fell heroically during the Greco-Italian war, as well as the time and the place they died.
Info: 22, Amalias Ave., Τ. +30 27520 25591
The archaeologist from Nafplio Mr. Babis Antoniadis, on the occasion of the celebration of October 28th, suggests -and rightly so- that we visit the accessible "cave" with the history of World War II in Argolis, within the archaeological site of Ancient Assini! There, in addition to the archaeological tour, we can visit the mentioned "cave" where the history of World War II in the Argolis region is presented.
The "cave" was chosen as an exhibition space, because it was created during the period of Italian occupation (March 1942, as recorded in a report by the local guard N. Mpikakis). The archaeological site was largely destroyed during the war, as the conquerors used building materials from ancient structures to construct fortifications on the rock.
Exhibition Sections
- 8th Infantry Regiment of the IV Division of Nafplio
- April 1941 Days in Nafplio and Tolo.
- Italian-German Occupation in Argolis.
- 1941-1944 The serious lack of food problem.
- Organizing Resistance in Argolis.
- Antiquities in Argolis During the War.
Also, read the unique story of the local (born in Tolo) guardian of Ancient Assini, Mr. Nikolaos Bikakis, who, during his service in the times of the occupation, writes a report on March 10th 1942, regarding the state of fortifications in Ancient Assini during the foreign occupation.
The official program of events for the anniversary of October 28th in the city of Nafplio is as follows:
07:00 - Joyful church bells ringing, under the auspices of the Holy Metropolis of Argolis.
08:00 - Flag-raising at the city's hero monument of Nafplio (25th March Avenue) by an Honorary Guard of the Nafplio Infrastructure Management Service, with the participation of the Municipal Philharmonic.
10:30 - Official doxology at the Holy Church of Agios Anastasios in Nafplio, presided over by His Eminence the Metropolitan of Argolis, Mr. Nektarios. The festive speech of the day is delivered by Mrs. Nicole Matsimani, the Principal of the 1st General Lyceum of Nafplio.
11:00 - Gathering of officials at the city's hero monument (25th March Avenue): a memorial prayer will be recited, followed by the laying of wreaths by representatives of the Government, the Hellenic Parliament, the Peloponnese Region, the Armed Forces, the Municipality, National Resistance Associations, and Reserve Military Organizations. A minute of silence will be observed in memory of the glorious deceased of the Nation. The ceremony will conclude with the playing of the National Anthem.
11:30 - In the same area, in front of the city's hero monument (25th March Avenue), a great parade will take place in front of the officials, including the Municipal Philharmonic, Municipal Schools, Gymnasiums, Lyceums, Scouts, Associations and units of the Armed Forces and Security Forces.
17:15 - City flag lowering, by a unit of the Military Authorities of Nafplio.
