The Venetian Castle Skopelos

Skopelos has an important history made up of Venetian dominions which were on the island for three centuries, then colonized by the Cretans and finally exiled by the Byzantines. His origins are very ancient and his name was Peparithos who in Greek mythology was the brother of Stafylos son of Dionysus and Ariadne, first inhabitant of Skopelos.

As in all the Greek Islands which were subject to raids by pirates and various usurpers on duty, Skopelos also has a beautiful castle. It is located in the upper part of the city to the south as well as covering the east area right next to the Church of the Annunciation, and perched on top of a rock, a strategic position to spot unwanted visitors.

Let's say that a triangular-shaped fortress built by the Byzantines already existed which also included all the buildings of the Chora settlement. In turn, the Byzantine wall replaced the ancient fence and was then modified and implemented during the Venetian rule in the XIII century. In the early Middle Ages the citadels of Panormos and Selinos were abandoned except Peparithos (the old name of the Chora) which remained where we find it today.

The Venetian castle of Aghii Panto, was originally formed by buildings in limestone recovered from the quarries north of the city from the island of Ai Giannis while the walls were of mud bricks with wooden constructions. With the advent of the Venetians, the belt around the town was enlarged with a thickness of 0.80 meters in sandstone and square towers erected to defend the central gate. The merlons are still in good condition on the eastern side. A second wall followed the perimeter vertically from the castle to the sea to protect the houses of the city. The only weak point of the fortress which had become so impregnable was the lack of water which is why in 1276 during the siege of the knight Licario, it had to give in and submit.

Let's say that in terms of archaeological finds today there is not much left, it is certainly fascinating to take a trek through the stairs in the mountain to realize even a little what life was like during those times. However, the main reason why you decide to take such a path is above all for the view. From here the horizon made of a sea of a thousand shades of blue and the islands around the archipelago are worth the effort to get there. At sunset the show becomes even more beautiful when the sky and the sea are tinged with warm colors that would melt even the coldest heart.