The first capital of Greece (1828-1833), Nafplio was a prosperous city throughout the 20th century, thanks to its strategic location close to Athens, its important port for maritime trade and its strategic position in relation to the vast citrus-growing areas of the Peloponnese. Much of the old town retains its neoclassical fabric, while its margins are expanding rapidly under the pressure of housing development. The Xenia of Nafplio is located on an emblematic site: the top of the rocky peninsula of Akronafplia (a citadel fortified in ancient times) and in close proximity to the fort of Palamidi.