Updated guest service infrastructure is acquired by Antirrio Castleso that it can respond to the special needs of people with disabilities. Its objective Ministry of Culture It is important that this fortified monument be included in the universally accessible cultural spaces, contributing to the “gray economy” and to the use of art for the improvement of mental health, in the context of the projects and actions implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with its resources. Recovery Fund.
The Ministry of Culture’s planning includes the creation of an accessible route, an information area, a rest room and sanitary facilities for the disabled and elderly.
Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni said: “In previous years, restoration work was carried out at the Antirrio Castle by the competent departments of the Ministry of Culture. However, at that time, the appropriate conditions for safe navigation for all its visitors, especially for people with disabilities and our fellow human beings with disabilities, were not created. The ramps leading up to the ring road do not provide the necessary gradient. The observation points on the bastions are not safe. There is no wheelchair-accessible route. There is a lack of a properly designed information and exhibition area where all visitors, especially older age groups, can relax in a creative way.
![Antirrio Castle becomes universally accessible 1 Antirio 1](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Antirio-1.jpg)
As a result of all the above-mentioned shortcomings, the monument has a low attendance, although in the summer months there is a large attendance at cultural events held inside the Castle. Through the work carried out by the competent Ephorate of Antiquities, functional and morphological issues are now being resolved in order to guarantee the unimpeded and safe circulation of all visitors, through a tourist route through important areas of the monument and service infrastructures accessible to all. Our aim is for the Castle, as a visitable monument, to be a welcoming destination for people with disabilities and the elderly, as well as a venue for hosting cultural events, with a potential capacity of up to 4,500 people. At the same time, Etoloakarnania acquires a new resource for dynamic development for the benefit of local society and the economy.”
![Antirrio Castle becomes universally accessible 2 Antirio 3](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Antirio-3.jpg)
A circular route was chosen for visitors with disabilities, which is suitable in terms of interest and possibilities for intervention. Parking spaces for disabled people are planned near the entrance and a walkway accessible to disabled people will be created. The entrance and the arched portico, at street level, will be preserved and the lighting will be improved. Public service areas, accessible to all, will be created, such as a refreshment room and a digital information room, while the existing publishing outpost will be maintained. Ramps and a guide for the blind are being designed, while the toilet areas are being modified. Accessible routes – circular and central – are being built in the outdoor area, which will also include a guide for the visually impaired. Three stopping points will be set up along the routes, one on the east side, one on the west side and one under the south wall, with shade and occasional planting. Special signage for disabled people will be installed with tactile signs in Braille. Access to the northeast bastion is being created for panoramic viewing by constructing a lift with a wheelchair platform, while the existing ramp is being reconfigured for other visitors. Digital information material suitable for people with disabilities is being created.
![Antirrio Castle becomes universally accessible 3 Antirio 4](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Antirio-4.jpg)
Antirrio Castle, the ancient Molykreion, was built by Sinan Pasha on the orders of Sultan Bayazid II, opposite the cape and the corresponding Rio Castle, in the strait called “Little Dardanelles”, immediately after the capture of Nafpaktos, in 1499.
![Antirrio Castle becomes universally accessible 4 Antirio 5](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Antirio-5.jpg)
The existing fort has a polygonal plan with the two coastal slopes converging on the south side, which faces the sea with a large wall, organized into six successive vaulted spaces with cannon mounts. The moat was filled in in the 20th century, after the formation of the quay of the old port.
![Antirrio Castle becomes universally accessible 5 Antirio 6](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Antirio-6.jpg)
The entrance is formed by an elongated arched portico, on each side of which there are double-vaulted watchtowers, the first of which has two floors. There are no remains in the interior and exterior area of the fortress as the area has not been excavated. There are only a few traces of roofs due to the existence of former military installations.
![Antirrio Castle becomes universally accessible 6 Antirio 7](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Antirio-7.jpg)
The continuous reconstructions make it difficult to describe the construction phases of the Castle.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Diligence:George Koulouvaris
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