Town Gate and West Wall
A few meters after the cemetery the view opens up to the walls of the lower town of Monemvasia, to that part which the residents today call "to kastro" (the fortress).
The faubourg or lower town stands on a relatively steep incline, shich stretches across the entire southern side of the rock. The town occupies approximately the last third of the slope (going to the east), at the point where it is widest. A wall protects the lower town on its western, southern, and eastern sides. To the north the perpendicular cliffs of the rock itself protect the inhabited area. Looking from the "single entrance" it was impossible to determine the exact position of the lower town; consequently, gun positions on the mainland against the lower town are to be found only on the south side of the rock, near the church of Hagia Thekla, and near the present village of Hagia Paraskevi, from where the faubourg is visible.
Scholars agree that the beginnings of the first wall of the lower town date from the second Byzantine period (1263 — 1459), that is, from the heyday of Monemvasia. The fact that at this time in its history Monemvasia had the greatest number of residents who would have needed protection argues for the accuracy of this dating. However, most of the visible fortification system of the lower city dates from the end of the sixteenth century, from the first period of Turkishrule (1540 — 1690). In part, the walls themselves date from the second Venetian occupation of 1690 — 1715.
That part of the bulwark that the visitor first sees, the west wall that stretches from the cliffs to the sea, shows marked evidences of Venetian techniques of fortification. Characteristic of this style is the molding on the wall, the facing of the main gate and the bastion at the southwest corner near the sea. The Venetians rebuilt the bastion as a tower, after having destroyed it in 1690 when they captured the town.
The west wall is actually rather complex. It is 200 meters long, and, depending upon the topography, it stands twenty to thirty meters high. It extends from a bastion located at the base of the cliffs down to the southern wall at the sea, where it ends in another bastion. The wall has two gates, one of which is located in the upper bastion, and provides the easiest access to the upper town. The main gate stands at the midpoint of the length of the wall (see plate 6). The approach road ends at a small square directly in front of this gate. The square is usually so full of cars, that it detracts from rather than adds to the view of the portal.
The facing on the main gate, like the molding on the wall, and the corbeling of a small bartizan located to the upper right of the portal are all made of porus, quarried nearby. The Venetian influence in the west wall is particularly evident in these details, for the Turks built the other parts of the wall out of rubble, ashlar, and fieldstone. A fluted molding borders the facing of the portal. Within the facing, above the gate opening, there are two stone blocks decorated with raised hemispheres. The hemisphere that sits just above the gate opening is itself flanked on each side by a six point star. In the upper right hand corner of the facing (formerly also in the upper left hand corner) there is a stone decorated with a hole and a groove. These stones, unlike the rest of the facing, are laid vertically not horizontally. The large opening just below the outer molding of the facing served as the anchor point for a sculpted marble lion of St. Mark, which was the symbol of Venetian authority over Monemvasia.
Directly over the gate at the top of the wall there is an embrasure through which a cannon could fire straight on at attackers. Above the facing of the gate, to the left of the corbeling, are the remains of Turkish stuccoing, identifiable by the small pieces of fired clay mixed in with the plaster. Large sections of the wall between the main gate and the sea show signs of having been hastily rebuilt with little care or attention to detail.
A small tower, built directly on the rock, protrudes somewhat to the left, above the gate. Because of its salient position, it provides an excellent view of the whole exterior of the west wall. The bastion above at the cliffs, and the one below at the southwest corner on the sea make it possible to defend the entire length of the wall. Thus it is really correct to say that the west wall has a carefully thought out, elaborate design.
The portal opening articulates the facing; it consists of a broad round arch made of porus blocks. The old wings of the gate are still in their original location, even if they are no longer closed every evening as they still were at the beginning of the twentieth century. They consist of thick planks strengthened with iron plates and large forged nails. The impact of bullets has left numerous holes in the plates; some of the bullets can still be seen in the wood.
Behind the gates begins the narrow zigzag passage, through the wall, which at this point is particularly thick. The passage, covered by a barrel vault, has stone benches along its course. A small opening on the left side possibly held a sacred icon. As we go from the bright sunlight into the passage protected by thick walls we are immediately struck by the cool darkness. But just a few steps bring us back to daylight — to a small open space that has somewhat the character of a town square.
Straight ahead we see the main street of Monemvasia. To the oblique right a path leads down to the western part of the town. A vault stretches over the path, and a house is built atop it. To the left there is another path that likewise leads under an arch, and up to the wall over the town gate.