Public DomainThe Sleeping Lion of Nafplio is a highlight of the first capital of Greece and a testimonial to the Bavarian presence that shaped the early years of the modern Greek state. On January 25, 1833, the 17-year-old King Otto stepped off the British frigate Madagascar and onto the soil of Nafplio. A bitter transitionAccompanied by a vast retinue of Bavarian advisors, scholars, and soldiers, Otto spent 11 months in Nafplio. While the King spent his days immersed in Greek history and traveling to understand his new subjects, his Bavarian followers faced a harsher reality. Crafted by Christian Heinrich Siegel.”Today, the “Bavarian Lion” remains one of the most evocative sights in Nafplio, standing as a silent guardian over the history of a kingdom’s difficult birth.