Assos Castle
Assos Castle | |
---|---|
Κάστρο της Άσσου | |
Assos, Cephalonia | |
Country | Greece |
Construction started | 1593 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Marino Gentillini |
The Assos Castle (Greek: Κάστρο της Άσσου, romanized: Kastro tis Assou) is a Venetian fortification on Cephalonia island in western Greece.
Together with
History
While Cephalonia was under Venetian rule, in 1584, a petition by the nobles of Cephalonia was presented to the Venetian Senate for the creation of a new fortress, as the Castle of Saint George (the other castle of Cephalonia) could not defend the entire island against the Turkish threat and the pirate raids.[2] At the time Venice had a plan for protecting territories in the east by founding a city within the castle and moving their administration there from St. George's. Building commenced in 1593 under the supervision of Ambrosius Cornelius (Ven. Ambroso Corner), as the sign outside the main gate shows. The castle was built by the Venetian architect Marino Gentillini, between 1593-6. Gentillini eventually married and settled in Cephalonia, and his name was inscribed in the Libro d'Oro of noble families. His descendants today preserve the pioneering Gentillini winery.[3]
Assos has always had a small population. Its location meant that under siege its supplies, including water, could be cut off. Still, the castle became the capital of northern Cephalonia as a large fort with a small settlement inside. In 1684, the Venetians took Lefkas from the Turks and the Assos castle lost its strategic importance. In 1757, with piracy and the Turkish threat reduced, the Venetians founded Argostoli, which became the main town of the island. Asos remained the seat of the Venetian provveditore until the Fall of the Republic of Venice and the end of Venetian rule in Cephalonia. In 1822, about 1700 people came from Souli to stay in the Assos fortress and the whole area became a quarantine area, resulting in a settlement within the fortress named Souli. For the next century, Assos continued to be a fortress without a military role. In the late 1920s, a prison was started there which after the World War II hosted political prisoners, who kept vineyards and crops of cereal. The Ionian Islands were badly damaged by the Ionian Earthquake in 1953. After that, most people of the castle left and the prison was closed. The 1961 census found only 6 people living in the fortress, the last of whom left in 1963. They had been known as the "Kastrinoi" ("people of the castle"), comprising large families who mainly cultivated olives and grapes.[4]
Access
Today the castle is open daily with no entry fee.
References
- ISBN 9780521853576.
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- ^ Papathanassiou, Manolis. "Assos Fortress - Greek Castles". www.kastra.eu. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
- ^ www.gentilini.gr. "GENTILINI Winery & Vineyards - About us". www.gentilini.gr. Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
- ^ a b nathan. "The Assos Fortress, Kefalonia Greece". www.agni.gr. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
- ^ "Castle of Assos in Kefalonia island - Greeka.com". Greeka. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
- ^ martin. "Assos Fortress". www.ionian-island.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2016-09-22.