Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes

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This article is about the castle in Rhodes. For other uses, see Grand Master's Palace (disambiguation).

Palace of the Grand Master
Παλάτι του Μεγάλου Μαγίστρου
Part of the fortifications of Rhodes
Rhodes, Greece
View of the castle
Coordinates36°26′44.5″N 28°13′26.8″E / 36.445694°N 28.224111°E / 36.445694; 28.224111
TypeCastle
Site information
OwnerGovernment of Greece[1]
Open to
the public		Yes
ConditionIntact
Site history
Built7th century (citadel)
14th century (palace)
1937–1940 (restoration works)
Built byByzantine Empire
Knights Hospitaller
Kingdom of Italy (restoration works)
ArchitectVittorio Mesturino (20C reconstruction)
Battles/warsSiege of Rhodes (1480)
Siege of Rhodes (1522)
Events1481 Rhodes earthquake
Europe and North America

The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, also known as the Kastello (

Rhodes, on the island of Rhodes in Greece. It is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece. The site was previously a citadel of the Knights Hospitaller
that functioned as a palace, headquarters, and fortress.

History

According to recent study, in the exact spot in which the palace exists today, there was the foundations of the ancient temple of the

Grand Master. In the first quarter of the 14th century, they repaired the palace and made a number of major modifications.[2] The palace was damaged in the earthquake of 1481
, and it was repaired soon afterwards.

After the 1522 capture of the island by the Ottoman Empire, the palace was used as a command centre and fortress.

In 1856, a gunpowder magazine under the nearby Church of Saint John – possibly stored there since the siege of 1522[3][4] – was struck by lightning, causing a massive explosion that killed many people, destroyed the church, and destroyed much of the Grand Master's Palace.[5][3][6][4] Most of the upper floors collapsed, while the ground floor rooms survived.[5]

During the

Victor Emmanuel III, and later for Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini
, whose name can still be seen on a large plaque near the entrance.

On 10 February 1947, the

Treaty of Peace with Italy, one of the Paris Peace Treaties, determined that the recently established Italian Republic would transfer the Dodecanese Islands to Greece. In 1948, Rhodes and the rest of the Dodecanese were transferred as previously agreed. The palace was then converted to a museum, and is today visited by the millions of tourists that visit Rhodes.[13]

In 1988, when Greece held the rotating presidency of the European Economic Community (as the European Union was then known), Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and the other leaders of the EEC held a meeting in the Palace.[13]

Gallery

  • The palace in 1844
    The palace in 1844
  • The castle overlooking the medieval town
    The castle overlooking the medieval town
  • The main entrance
    The main entrance
  • Chimneys
    Chimneys
  • Detail
    Detail
  • Close view
    Close view
  • Door
    Door
  • Courtyard
    Courtyard
  • Arcades at the courtyard
    Arcades at the courtyard
  • Sculpture of Virgin Mary
    Sculpture of Virgin Mary
  • View from the interior
    View from the interior
  • Gothic portal
    Gothic portal
  • Main hall
    Main hall
  • Medusa mosaic (2nd century BC) from Kos
    Medusa mosaic (2nd century BC) from Kos
  • Mosaic with Thalia (Muse) from Kos
    Mosaic with Thalia (Muse) from Kos
  • Mosaic with Polyhymnia from Kos
    Mosaic with Polyhymnia from Kos
  • Byzantine mosaic from Kos (450-500)
    Byzantine mosaic from Kos (450-500)
  • Byzantine mosaic from Kos
    Byzantine mosaic from Kos
  • Laocoön and His Sons, modern copy
    Laocoön and His Sons, modern copy
  • Portrait of Philibert de Naillac, Grand Master (1396-1421)
    Portrait of
    Grand Master
    (1396-1421)
  • Uniform of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
    Uniform of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mosaics in the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes.
  1. ^ "Grand Master Palace". greeka.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Palace of the Grand Master of Rhodes". Helios. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-19-521930-2
    .
  4. ^ a b Barnes, John R. (2018). "Gunpowder and the Explosion in 1856 of the former Church of St. John in the Medieval Town of Rhodes". Paper Presented at the International Scientific Congress on Fortifications of the Ottoman Period in the Aegean.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1-78200-003-7
    .
  6. ISBN 978-1-136-91868-1
    .
  7. ^ Manuela Mattone (2005), Vittorio Mesturino: Architetto e restauratore, Florence: Alinea
  8. ^ "Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes". Fodor's Travel. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  9. ISBN 978-1-78200-003-7
    .
  10. ^ "The Knights' Grand Master Palace". Rhodos island Greece. 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  11. ^ "Bastion of the Grand Master's Palace in Rhodes". European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  12. ISBN 978-1-351-54253-1
    .
  13. ^ a b "Museums". Municipality of Rhodes. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
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