Kastri was a medieval village in Greece, which was formed above the ruins of the ancient site of
Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct and the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient Classical antiquity, classical world. The A ...
. The local villagers partly used the ruins in the construction of their village. The village was destroyed during the exploratory archaeological digging for the ancient site of Delphi in late 19th century.
History
The temple and statues at Delphi were destroyed under the rule of Theodosius I in c. 390 AD. The village of Kastri was built on top of the ruins using marble from destroyed buildings and, eventually, the precise location of Delphi was lost.
and
Jacques Spon rediscovered the site using an old description from
Pausanias, and published their findings in 1682.
Other explorers noted the remains of the ancient temple in Kastri, including Colonel
William Martin Leake
William Martin Leake FRS (14 January 17776 January 1860) was an English soldier, spy, topographer, diplomat, antiquarian, writer, and Fellow of the Royal Society. He served in the British Army, spending much of his career in the Mediterrane ...
who visited the site in 1802 and 1806.
In 1838, Greek scholars suggested that the village be moved to allow excavation of the site. In 1891, the
French Archaeological School of Athens
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
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Arts and media
* The French (band), a ...
pledged a sum of money to facilitate the removal of the villagers to the site of the modern city of Delphi and, in return, was granted a ten-year concession to excavate the site.
[ The village was estimated to consist of about one hundred homes and two hundred inhabitants.
During the excavation, the French Archaeologists removed vast quantities of soil from landslides that had covered the major buildings and structures of Delphi.]
See also
*Delphi Archaeological Museum
Delphi Archaeological museum () is one of the principal museums of Greece and one of the most visited. It is operated by the Greek Ministry of Culture (Ephorate of Antiquities of Phocis). Founded in 1903, it has been rearranged several times and h ...
References
{{reflist
Delphi
Former populated places in Greece