Skiathos Castle ( el, Κάστρο της Σκιάθου) or simply Kastro is a medieval fortified site on the northern tip of the island of

Skiathos Skiathos ( el, Σκιάθος, , ; grc, Σκίαθος, ; and ) is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia on the mainland, ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, which was the main settlement of the island from the mid-14th century to 1829. It is now abandoned and a protected site.

History

The castle was founded in ca. 1360, as the local inhabitants fled from the previous main settlement (on the same site as the modern town of Skiathos) due to the depredations of the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

pirates. As with the rest of the island, the castle remained in

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

hands until the

Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...

in 1453, when it was taken over by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

. Venetian rule proved oppressive, leading to a rebellion against the local governor Vicenzo Baffo in 1518, and failed to provide security from the Ottoman corsairs. When the Ottoman admiral

Hayreddin Barbarossa Hayreddin Barbarossa ( ar, خير الدين بربروس, Khayr al-Din Barbarus, original name: Khiḍr; tr, Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa), also known as Hızır Hayrettin Pasha, and simply Hızır Reis (c. 1466/1478 – 4 July 1546), was an Ot ...

besieged the castle in 1538, the local inhabitants killed the Venetian governor and allowed the Ottomans entry in hopes of lenient treatment, but the Ottomans killed many and took others as slaves. The castle was repaired by the Ottomans in 1619. The Venetians raided Skiathos in 1655, and in 1660 the Venetian commander

Francesco Morosini Francesco Morosini (26 February 1619 – 16 January 1694) was the Doge of Venice from 1688 to 1694, at the height of the Great Turkish War. He was one of the many Doges and generals produced by the noble Venetian family of Morosini.Encyclopæd ...

captured the castle. The brief Venetian occupation was harsh, with many executed or forced to serve as rowers in the Venetian

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

s. During the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

, the island was often raided by a faction of Greek rebels from

Mount Olympus Mount Olympus (; el, Όλυμπος, Ólympos, also , ) is the highest mountain in Greece. It is part of the Olympus massif near the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, located in the Olympus Range on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, be ...

; on 14 July 1826, the rebels under Tsamis Karatasos captured the castle and looted it. In 1829, as Skiathos became part of the new independent Greek state, the castle was abandoned and the site of the ancient and early medieval town was re-occupied.

Description

The castle is located on a rocky promontory on the northernmost point of the island. It is a naturally secure position, as it is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs overlooking the sea. The castle features only low walls on these sides, and its only substantial fortifications are to the south, where lies its only entrance, a narrow gate protected by a wooden drawbridge and a cauldron with boiling oil (ζεματίστρα). The population numbered between 500 and 1,500 people, living in tightly packed houses. There were 20 churches in four parishes, a chancellery, and several cisterns. In the Ottoman period, a mosque and governor's residence were built for the small Turkish garrison. Following the castle's abandonment, only the two churches of St. Nicholas and of the Nativity—the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

of the local bishop—continued in use, while in recent years the churches of St. Marina and St. Basil, two cisterns, the Ottoman mosque, the gate complex, and parts of the walls have been restored.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Skiathos Castle Skiathos Byzantine fortifications in Greece 1360 establishments in Europe Former populated places in Greece