| Mitilini Castro | Kastro Photos | ||||||||
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Welcome to part two of my pictures from Mitilini. For more information about the town, please
see
Part One. This part focuses on the "Venetian" Castle. I say "Venetian" because fortifications
on this hill have existed since before the time of the Venitians. However, an exact
date and builder of the castle is hard to assign because of the various people/invaders
whom
have rebuilt it.
Ruins on the site have been found that date back to the time of Justinian and remains of the Ancient Greek Acropolis have been found. The general pattern of development for Mitilini as other islands was having the current residents build a castle, have parts destroyed by an invader then the invaders, the new current resident, rebuilding and enlarging the castle. As a result it is one of the largest castles in the Aegean. Time and cannon balls have taken their toll on the castle, many of the internal buildings and the outer wall have suffered damage. The Greeks appear to be repairing the castle though. The castle overlooks the modern and the ancient harbors of Mitilini and is in a very strategic location where it can defend the town. There are underground passages in the castle and there is a rumor some go into the town for escape, much like the castle on Cepoholonia Note:One of my source books keeps calling it a Venetian castle however at the end Mentions one of the major phases was by the Genoese. Therefore, it may be a Genoese Castle and not Venetian I hope you enjoy the photos. Any comments, please E-mail me, . |
Click on the title or thumbnail to view the larger picture.
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