This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Cplakidas (talk | contribs) at 22:19, 1 January 2025 (←Created page with 'The '''Castle of Saint George''' ({{langx|el|Κάστρο Αγίου Γεωργίου}}) or simply '''Kastro''' ({{lit.|fortress}}) was a fortified settlement that was the main town of the island of Cephalonia, Greece, from the Middle Ages until the 18th century. ==Location== The castle is located on a {{convert|320|m|ft}} tall hill in southern Cephalonia,{{Sfn|Soustal|Koder|1981|p=154}} just east of the modern village of the same name{{Sfn|Sou...'). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 22:19, 1 January 2025 by Cplakidas (talk | contribs) (←Created page with 'The '''Castle of Saint George''' ({{langx|el|Κάστρο Αγίου Γεωργίου}}) or simply '''Kastro''' ({{lit.|fortress}}) was a fortified settlement that was the main town of the island of Cephalonia, Greece, from the Middle Ages until the 18th century. ==Location== The castle is located on a {{convert|320|m|ft}} tall hill in southern Cephalonia,{{Sfn|Soustal|Koder|1981|p=154}} just east of the modern village of the same name{{Sfn|Sou...')(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Castle of Saint George (Greek: Κάστρο Αγίου Γεωργίου) or simply Kastro (lit. 'fortress') was a fortified settlement that was the main town of the island of Cephalonia, Greece, from the Middle Ages until the 18th century.
Location
The castle is located on a 320 metres (1,050 ft) tall hill in southern Cephalonia, just east of the modern village of the same name and about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southeast of the modern capital of the island, Argostoli.
History
The castle is first attested in 1085, when it was unsuccessfully besieged by the Italo-Normans under Roger Borsa, during the invasion of the Byzantine Empire. The Normans suffered heavy losses due to malaria and even Roger's father, Robert Guiscard, died on the island during this time. In 1126, the castle was captured by a Venetian fleet, an event which forced Emperor John II Komnenos to reconfirm the privileges that had been granted to the Venetians in 1082. The Muslim geographer al-Idrisi visited the island and the castle town in the middle of the 12th century.
The castle is named after Saint George for the first time in a document of 1264, and again in 1325, when John of Gravina campaigned on the island to claim possession of the county palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos. During the later 14th and early 15th century, the castle is attested as a residence of the Tocco family, rulers of the county palatine and of the Despotate of Epirus in the mainland. The castle suffered heavy damage during an earthquake in 1469, and had to be extensively rebuilt on a grander scale in 1504, after the Venetians took over the island.
References
- ^ Soustal & Koder 1981, p. 154.
- ^ Soustal & Koder 1981, p. 155.
- ^ Soustal & Koder 1981, pp. 57, 155, 176.
- Soustal & Koder 1981, p. 176.
- Soustal & Koder 1981, pp. 69, 155, 176.
Sources
- Brooks, Allan (2013). Castles of Northwest Greece: From the early Byzantine Period to the eve of the First World War. Aetos Press. ISBN 978-0-9575846-0-0.
- Soustal, Peter; Koder, Johannes (1981). Tabula Imperii Byzantini, Band 3: Nikopolis und Kephallēnia (in German). Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. ISBN 978-3-7001-0399-8.
External links
- Saint George Castle at kastra.eu (in Greek and English)
