The castle of Methoni 

The castle of Methoni is located at the southernmost point of the west coast of the Peloponnese, in a place which had been fortified since the 7th century BC. Until 1204 AD it was used as a fort by the Byzantines, while in 1209 AD the Venetians, according to the treaty of Sapientza, became the rulers of the area. During the first era of Venetian occupation (1209-1500), Methoni was established as a financial centre and commercial port and the town reached its peak. It was then that the magnificent castle was built with its massive fortification walls, one of the most distinctive defensive structures of the medieval Venetian architecture. The fort was strengthened much more and flourished until 1500 AD when it was conquered by the Turks. Between 1500 and 1573, on the rocky islet to the south of the castle, the Ottomans built Bourtzi (meaning tower); this was an octagonal fort aimed to reinforce the defensive system of the area, but it also served as a prison and torture chamber. Today, the castle is in excellent state of preservation, while considerable remains of the medieval town still survive within its area.