The 13th century:Nafpaktos as part of the Despotate of Epirus
During the Crusades, in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, prosperous Nafpaktos suffered from pirate raids,mainly from the West, “from lands of Frangia”. After thefall of Constantinople in 1204 to the Crusaders, Nafpaktos is included in the Venetian possessions, but the Byzantineleader Michael I Comnenos (1204-1215), the founder ofthe new autonomous Despotate of Epirus, soon claimsthe town. Nafpaktos is surrendered to Michael with atreaty in 1210. The town is a chief naval base and thesouthernmost defense point of the Byzantine Despotateof Epirus against the raids of the Frankish leaders of thePeloponnese and Salona. It is also an important ecclesiastical center. The literary accounts of the educated Metropolitan John Apokafkos illustrate everyday life in theearly 13th century. According to him, the inhabitants often suffered from raids by the Franks of the Peloponnese,while the defense wall underwent repeated destruction.