Staikopoulos Park

Beyond the Palace of Justice (to the south) there spreads Staikopoulos Park, na­med after the conqueror of Nauplion.

His statue has been made by Nickolas, the sculptor (1966). The people of Nauplion pay tribute to him on November 30, anni­versary of the occupation of the castle, by taking his picture in an honarary procession up to Palamidi and down again to the City Hall.

The thickset hero was born in Zatouna, Gortynia. When the Revolution began, he gave up commerce and took active part in the combat followed by 600 men. He was temperamental and decisive. After the liberation he didn't succeed in becoming Commander of the Palamidi garrison, he was only named colonel. Then he had a nervous breakdown. The government later confined him in Leonardo's jail because he was talking against the Bavarians. He died there in 1835 at the age of 37. To collect the necessary sum for his funeral, his com­patriots had to beg around. He was buried, as we have already mentioned, at the old graveyard of the city, next to the Bavarian Lion, at Agioi Pantes. The poet, Theodore Costouros, engraved on his statue the following poem called «The Conqueror».

Ι am thinking of you, melting away like a candle in Leonardos' darkest cell,

you, the conqueror of the strongest castle in the         

  world, and your eyes are blurred and black beard covers

  your face!

Drop by drop the blood of your youth is sucked by the serpent of the cell and then is vomited

back full of puss. To you that your miracle echoed all over Greece on mountain, in plains and val1eys.

You brave one, pure one, Ι can find no fault in thee!

And though you delivered us from dark with a  

lighting, you were buried with money collected in beggary, an unspeakable eternal shame!