The old town of the Chios is very nice, as well as the rest of this Greek island. | Καλώς ήλθατε στο Κάστρο της Χίου! These ruins of the once strong standing Chios Castle stand on one of the many beautiful islands of Greece. The original phases of the castle date back to the end of the tenth century (during the Byzantine Period), though hardly anything from then has survived to today. When the castle was built, it enclosed the entire town of Chios, but eventually the town did expand over the walls. On the south end, you can find the central gate that was re-built by the Venetians in 1694. Inside the gate there is a two story structure that is known as the Ioustiniani Palace. This building holds the Kria Vrisi (underground water storage) that I could assume would be important for the people that called the castle home. The castles massive tower also stands here. There was once a huge moat around the outside, but it has now been filled. The castle today is made up of additions groups have added that used the fortress (including the Genoese, Venetians, and the Turks), onward until the Greek War of Independence (1820's). During the war, the castle suffered severe damage from bombardment, and an earthquake rattled the structure in 1881. The southern portion of the castle was soon demolished to make way for a port. Today, the castle is being excavated by archaeologists and restorations are repairing some of the fragile parts of the building. The façade, roof, and masonry are being re-done as well as passageways and the interior. Ευχαριστίες για την επίσκεψη! |