Modon and her History, Venice and her Mastery

This monograph on the castle of Modon is a journey from Homer to the 20th century, with emphasis on the Venetian presence. It　highlights some topics which have been in the shadows until now: the correct name of Modon, the ancient walls and coins of the area, the written and pictorial evidence of the castle, the system and structure of its Venetian administration, a study identifying the 27 shields and the 18 Venetian lions at the fortress, the discovery of the identity of the man who really commissioned the wrongly named Morosini stele, the provenance of the monolithic granite columns of a shipwreck in the bay of the castle, the genuine name for the mistakenly named Villehardouin tower, the identification of the mason’s mark on the central gate, a research into the ancient, correct name of the octagonal tower on the mole, which is still called by its Turkish name Bourtzi, and the identification of the form of the harbour in the medieval period.
Gaping holes opened by the sea into the defences of the castle, walls disembowelled with their entrails consumed long ago, towers beheaded, ramparts slighted, buildings in ruins and the remains of the former castle now overgrown, all stare out to sea and wait for the faraway gaze of the State, the indifferent trowel of the restorer, the languid pick of the archaeologist. When the restoration work is done which will save and strengthen what is still standing or already collapsed, excavations will be able to bring to light the treasures which are still hidden in the once rich Modon. Some discoveries will demonstrate a privileged development, others will bear testimony to a special sensitivity. Some buried in the ground, others sunk in the sea, but all locked in their voluble silence.
The most precious treasures are those deep down that do not shine; as long as there is the sensitivity to appreciate it and the knowledge to study it. Its value to cultural heritage is incalculable; the damage it has suffered is great; the concern for its preservation is, for now, still limited. It is good for men to dream; it is a saving grace to know what they must do when they wake up. For the moment, they are half-awake and bleary-eyed.

List of Illustrations
Preface to the English Edition
Abbreviations
Preface

Modon, a Long and Turbulent History: Antiquity
The Correct Name: Pedasos, Mothone or Methone/Modon?
The Walls of Ancient Modon
The Tower of the Golden Ratio
Classification of the Ancient Coins of Modon
The Middle Ages and Later Years
Written Sources
Pictorial Evidence
Depictions of Modon
The Venetian Administration of the Castle
Catalogue of the Venetian Officials of the Fortress
Heraldic Symbolism and the Problems of Coats of Arms
Armorial Identities of Modon
The da Canal Granite Column, the so-called Morosini Column
The History and the Different Poses of the Venetian Lion of St Mark
The Lion of La Serenissima in Modon
The Inscription in the Great Square of Arms
The Chapel inside and the Church of the Virgin Mary outside the Walls
The Tower in the Square of Arms, the so-called Villehardouin Tower
The Gate and the Mason’s Mark at the Main Entrance
The Harbour and the Octagonal Tower of St Nicholas
The Bay of Modon
An Overall Assessment of the Symbols of the Castle
Description and Date of the Fortifications

Postscript
Significant Dates in the History of the Castle
Index of Names
Bibliographical References