- Type
- Castle
- Built
- 13th century
- Location
- Ionian Islands, Greece
- Style
- Byzantine architecture
- Coordinates
- 39.6784°, 19.6872°
History
The exact date of the castle is unknown; it is usually attributed to the despots of Epirus, either Michael I Angelos, who took Corfu in 1214, or his son Michael II, and excavations show that the summit was already occupied in the early Byzantine centuries. The first document mentioning the fortress dates from 1272, when Giordano di San Felice took it over for Charles I of Anjou. From 1386 the castle belonged to Venice and until the late 16th century it was the island's official capital, its castellan chosen from the local nobility. It was never taken: in 1403 it withstood a year-long siege by Genoese mercenaries under Marshal Boucicaut, and during the Ottoman invasions of 1537, 1571 and 1716 it sheltered thousands of local peasants. With the rise of modern artillery it lost its role and fell into ruin; since 1999 the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities has carried out excavation and conservation work here.
What to see
The ruins crown a rock rising around 300 metres above the sea and are open to visitors for an entrance fee. Beyond the north gate with its round tower are the remains of the garrison's quarters and underground cisterns, the highest point is occupied by the church of the Archangel Michael, and on the west side lies a cemetery with graves cut into the rock in the shape of human bodies. Tucked into the eastern slope is the tiny rock-cut chapel of St Kyriaki with 18th-century paintings. The summit looks out over the bays of Palaiokastritsa and much of the island.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q536865
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