KASTRO
According to general belief,
the Kastro was founded in the 14th century about 1360. Because
of the many
pirates in the
area the people of
Skiathos deserted the
Byzantine town of Skiathos ,which was located
where the town is today, and built the medieval fortress,
the Kastro. Since the fortress
could not be approached
by sea and the only
entrance was by the
wooden drawbridge, the fortress ensured relative safety
for the residents.
The Kastro was more of a
natural fortress rather than man-made. The three sides of the
fortress facing the sea
were reinforced with relatively small walls, while the point at
which the Kastro connects to land is reinforced
with wide walls. At the entrance, there was a huge
cauldron which the residents would fill with boiling oil. If the residents were
attacked they would pour scald the attackers. There was also a tower which
housed cannon. The small houses in the fortress were built very close to each
other. It is said that
there were 400 houses while the
population of the
fortress ranged from
500 to 1500 people. There were
also about 20 churches in the four parishes, water tanks, baths, and the
Kagkelaria, which housed the authorities of the island. The Turkish headquarters
and the mosque were built during the Ottoman Occupation. There were also two defense towers and small
fire towers.
In 1829 the people of Skiathos deserted the
fortress and returned to the old
Byzantine town, which is
where the town
is located today. When
the residents left,
not only did they
take their personal belongings
but also any building materials they could
use again such
as doors, windows, and wood casings, roofing materials and
wood. The Kastro was totally abandoned.
Of the about twenty churches and the 500 houses, only two parish churches, the Church of the Nativity
and the Church of St. Nicholaos, survived the years. Two other churches, the
Church dedicated to St. Vasilios and the other dedicated to St. Marina, the
mosque, the Turkish headquarters, the potable water and the rain water storage
tanks, the entrance and the hot oil cauldron as
well as the walls around the fortress were repaired while the
cannon slits in the
wall on the north end are in
good condition.
THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. GEORGE
Among the cobblestones in the
path a few metres from the Kastro, one can make out round indentations similar
to those of a horse’s hoof. According to local folklore, these are the prints
of St. George’s
THE HOLY MONASTERY OF THE ANNUNCIATION AT KALAMI- THE KASTRIOTISSA
Little is known of this
monastery. Based on architectural and technical characteristics it is believed
that the monastery was founded between the 15th and 16th
century. The only written reference to the monastery is that of Konstandinos
Manolakis who gave half of the
THE WOODEN DRAWBRIDGE
The rocky peninsular on which
the Kastro was built prevented anyone from entering the Kastro. The only
entrance to the Kastro was by the wooden drawbridge which connected the two
ends of the wall. Every night and when
conditions warranted the guards at the entrance would draw the bridge towards
the Kastro thus preventing anyone from entering.
“How
many times, my deserted town, oh Kastro, have I crossed this old shaky wooden
bridge, my heart beating wildly, with my old grandma in order to light the
silver votive candles at the Church of Christ and to follow the liturgy and
later partake of wild greens” (Alexandros
Moraitides, Altanou)
THE ENTRANCE GATE
The entrance to the Kastro was the main defense
point since it was the only point of entry to the fortress. There was a stone
carving stating the renovation of the entrance in 1619 but which collapsed
during the earthquake of 1989. The other
method of defense was the use of a cauldron of boiling oil. The residents would empty the cauldron of
boiling oil on any invaders. According
to local folklore the residents would dance on the “flattop terrace” of the
gate.
“The terrace stood above the iron gate, a
tall structure with slits in the walls for guns and the essential “hot room”
with its even large slit from which, as a weapon of last resort, the men inside
could threaten to scald with boiling oil anyone attempting to enter the gate
below. The Kioski was a small pavilion where the elders congregated and
deliberated or just sat and talked amid their long, snaking water pipes, with
their ornate sleeves and embroidered belts” ( Alexandros Papadiamandis, The
Poor Saint”)THE MOSQUE
The Kastro was under
Byzantine control from 1360 until the Turkish Occupation. In 1453 the Venetians
were responsible for the Kastro. The
Kapoudan Pashas of the Turkish Hayreddin Barbarossa fleet conquered the Kastro
in 1538. The Kastro remained under
Turkish occupation until 1821 except for a short time in 1660 when Francesco
Morosini conquered the Kastro and the Venetians were again in control of it.
During the Turkish occupation, the Turkish headquarters and mosque were built
for the needs of the Aga and the few Turks who lived on the island. Alexandros
Papadiamandis describes in his narrative “The Bewitching of the Aga” the deserted
mosque as a skeleton which at one time was full of life with sounds of prayers
and other activities.
THE CHURCH DEDICATED TO THE APOSTLES
The church, in ruins today,
was built in the 17th century. The icon of the 12 Apostles is the
only thing which remains of the church.
‘PANAGIA’ (Virgin Mary) PREKLA
“the church was wonderfully decorated and
there were beautiful icons, especially the icon of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Prekla
the gold sculptured icon screen in front of the altar, chandelier, silver
hanging oil votives and standing bronze candle holders...”
“In the past, before 1821, when the now
deserted and ruined town was still inhabited,
all the residents of the two parishes
would go to the church during the first 15 days of August to hear the prayers
and chants” ( Alexandros Papadiamandis, “Memories of the 15th
of August”)
THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY AT KASTRO
The church of the Nativity was the main
church in the medieval fortress and the episcopacy of the bishop of Skiathos. Based on the icons, architectural and
technical characteristics, it is believed the church was built around the
middle of the 17th century. It
was repaired and renovated at regular intervals. The original church had been
built much earlier since it had been the cathedral of the Kastro since the 14th
century. The iconostasis in front of the
altar consists of two sections - one dating back to the 17th century
(1695) and the other section 50 or 60 years later. The icons of the iconostasis
have been moved to the parish churches in the present day town of
Night Vigils are held twice
a year (on August 5th and the 26th of December, weather
permitting).
Alexandros Papadiamandis
describes the church in his narrative “The Church Of The Nativity At
Kastro
ST. NIKOLAOS
The church dedicated to St.
Nikolaos, one of the four parishes in the fortress, was built in the 17th
century. In the later years of the
Kastro the wealthy families lived in the parish.
Night Vigils are held twice
a year (on the 5th of December and the 19th of May).
ST. VASILIOS
A liturgy service at the
church is held on the second Saturday after Easter.
PANAGIA MEGALOMATA
The church dedicated to The
Virgin is in ruins but is said to have been built in the 17th
century. The church was celebrated on a feast of Virgin Mary during the Lent,
on Saturday two weeks before Holy Saturday.
Alexandros Papadiamandis mentions the church in his narrative “The
Impact”
A Vigil is taking place at the ruins of Virgin Mairys' Church called Megalomata, the last weekend of July.
ST. MARINA
The church dedicated to St.
Marina is one of the four parishes of the fortress. A small banner depicting
the Resurrection which in one corner presents St. Marina and an icon depicting
St. Marina are the only things which remain of the church. The church was renovated and repaired in 1950.
A night vigil is held on July
16.
THE CANNON OF ANAGKIAS
The uppermost part of the
Kastro, known as Barberaki, was the main point of defense since all of the
surrounding area could be seen from that point.
The cannon placed on a revolving base was used to defend the
fortress.
THE POTABLE WATER STORAGE TANK
The
potable water storage tank located at the entrance to the fortress was filled
by the residents of the fortress. They would bring water from the various
springs on the island to the fortress and fill the tank. There were records of
how much water each family was allotted and how much they used.
The
building near the ruins of Panagia Megalomata was also used as a storage tank
for potable water. It is not known whether the two storage tanks were somehow
connected by a system of pipes.
There was also a storage tank for rainwater behind the Church of the
Nativity. The interior of the tank was lined with porcelain.
THE RUINS OF THE KAGKELARIA OR OF ANOTHER PUBLIC BUILDING
The
life of the residents of the fortress during the five hundred years they lived
there was quite difficult. Life became more difficult during the period when piracy
reached its peak. The town was plundered by Turkish and Greek pirates until
1829. In 1771, Alexios Orlov plundered the Sporades
while Georgis Tzogkanos invaded the Kastro and plundered, burnt the Kagkelaria
of the island and the records of the fortress.
The residents suffered from the
Olympious rebels, the Liapides, who settled on the island in the 19th
century. Karatassos controlled the
fortress in 1821.
The
Venetians and the Turks who had each, in turn, taken control of the fortress
never offered the residents of the fortress safety. Some of the Venetians were so oppressive and
cruel toward the residents that in frustration the residents turned to Hayreddin
Barbarossa, killing the Venetian governor something they paid for dearly with
their lives. The lives of the residents didn’t improve under the control of the
Turks. The residents had to pay a tax of 18,000 turkish grossi (kuruş) every year. There was compulsory service in the Turkish
fleet which was later replaced by a tax.
During the later years of the Turkish Occupation, the residents of the
fortress took up shipping obtaining their own ships. Many of them participated in the
pre-revolutionary movements or rebellion of 1821.
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