An inspection by the Greek Ministry of Culture found that the ancient fortress of Aigosthena and the surrounding Byzantine and post-Byzantine monuments near Porto Germeno, Greece, escaped major damage from the wildfire.
The fire began on July 31, 2026, and burned across the area for four days. Despite its strength and duration, it caused only limited destruction to the archaeological site. Officials said regular vegetation clearing by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Western Attica helped protect the monuments.
Ancient walls and restored towers remain intact
Inspectors found no major damage to the fortress walls, the restored southeastern and northeastern towers, or the churches inside the Acropolis. Smoke and fire residue, however, reached the painted decoration inside the churches. Conservation teams must now clean it immediately.
In the northern section of the fortress, the flames damaged several fallen stone blocks intended for future restoration work. Although the ancient structures remained largely intact, the fire caused more serious problems for the modern facilities that support the site.
Fire damages scaffolding and utility networks
The flames destroyed wooden beams that supported scaffolding along the northeastern section of the fortress wall. The fire also damaged the scaffolding, a crane bridge, and extra equipment stored in a work area outside the fortress.
It also compromised the electricity and water networks, as well as the field offices used by the Ephorate of Antiquities. The inspection showed that regular vegetation clearing can help protect one of Greece’s most important ancient fortresses from wildfires.
Aigosthena fortress near Porto Germeno overlooks the Gulf of Corinth
Builders constructed the fortress of Aigosthena in the second half of the fourth century BC. It stands southeast of the Gulf of Corinth and remains one of the best-preserved ancient fortresses in Greece. Its location allowed guards to monitor the gulf and control routes leading inland. People continued to live at the site during the early Christian, late Byzantine, and post-Byzantine periods.
An 11th-century chapel dedicated either to the Virgin Mary or Saint Anne also survives at the site. Its builders recycled material from ancient structures. A monastery later operated inside the fortress. Visitors can still see the ruins of its cells and its main church, the small Church of Saint George.
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