Kassiopi Castle

Kassiopi Castle (Greek: Κάστρο Κασσιώπης) is a castle on the northeastern coast of Corfu overseeing the fishing village of Kassiopi,^[1] and was one of three castles which defended the island before the Venetian era (1401–1797). The castles formed a defensive triangle, with Gardiki guarding the island's south, Kassiopi Castle the northeast and Angelokastro the northwest.^[2]^[3]

Its position at the northeastern coast of Corfu overseeing the Corfu Channel separating the island from the mainland gave the castle an important vantage point and an elevated strategic significance.^[1]

Kassiopi Castle is considered one of the most imposing architectural remains in the Ionian Islands,^[4] along with Angelokastro, Gardiki Castle and the two Venetian Fortresses of Corfu City, the Citadel and the New Fort.^[4]

Origins[]

The exact origins of the castle are not clear, with various theories being advanced, but they appear to be Byzantine.^[5]^[6] During excavations in the two towers adjacent to the main gate as well as a third tower to the north side of the main gate bronze coins from the reigns of Byzantine emperors Maurice (582–602 AD) and Basil II (976–1025) were discovered.^[6]

In addition ceramic ostraca dating from the early Byzantine period, the 4th–7th centuries AD, were also unearthed. This leads to the conclusion that a Byzantine castle may have been built in the area by the 6th century AD, a date which is several centuries earlier than the currently estimated date of the castle's construction.^[6]

History[]

In 1081 Count Bohemund of Taranto conquered the castle at the start of the first Norman invasion of Greece.^[7]

In 1084 the fortress fell into the hands of Alexios I Komnenos after he defeated the Norman fleet following three naval battles in the Corfu Channel.^[7] In 1267 the Angevins took over the castle and in 1386 the castle fell to the Venetians after some initial resistance.^[1]^[7]

The Venetians subsequently dismantled it, fearing it could be captured by their enemies or even by the locals and used against them.^[1]^[7] The consequence of the Venetian action was that during the Turkish sieges of Corfu in 1537 and 1761 the local people who could not escape were slaughtered or enslaved.^[7] By 1761 the Venetians decided to rebuild the castle, although most of the local population had already moved to other places including villages on the highlands of Mount Pantokrator.^[7]

Architecture[]

The main gate of the castle is protected by strong fore-walls (Greek: προτειχίσματα). This arrangement is similar to other castles and structures found in Epirus such as the Castle of Riza and the Monastery of Kato Vassiliki.^[8]

References[]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Stamatopoulos, Nondas (1993). Old Corfu: history and culture (3 ed.). N. Stamatopoulos. p. 166. http://books.google.com/books?id=6m0-AQAAIAAJ&q=Gardiki+castle+nondas+stamatopoulos&dq=Gardiki+castle+nondas+stamatopoulos&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nw2QUrLGMqKf2QWhr4G4CQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA.
↑ Dēmētrēs Philippidēs (1983). Greek Traditional Architecture: Eastern Aegean, Sporades-Ionian Islands. 1. Melissa. p. 222. http://books.google.com/books?id=l0tQAAAAMAAJ&q=Angelokastro&dq=Angelokastro&hl=en&ei=a3FgTbbZLsOAlAe9_JiODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwATha.
↑ "The Old Town of Corfu Nomination for inclusion on the World Heritage List STATE PARTY Greece STATE, PROVINCE OR REGION Greece, lonian Islands Region, Corfu Prefecture NAME OF PROPERTY The Old Town of Corfu". UNESCO. p. 29. http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/978.pdf. "One thing is certain, however. The area under plough outside the walls increased, since the village communities multiplied across the entire island (if we are to judge from the Byzantine castles that have survived) in order to protect the fields. They are castles such as Kassiopi, Angelokastro and Gardiki and, of course, the Old Fortress which was the medieval town itself."
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Martin Young (1977). Corfu and the Other Ionian Islands. Cape. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-224-01307-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=IVMjAQAAIAAJ&q=Angelokastro&dq=Angelokastro&hl=en&ei=a3FgTbbZLsOAlAe9_JiODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBDha.
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Sotiris Voyadjis; Ασπασία Ραπτάκη. "Το κάστρο της Κασσιώπης, Κέρκυρα" (in Greek). Academia.edu, Ionian Society of Historical Studies. pp. 13–34. http://www.academia.edu/3523419/_.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 "Συνολική Ανάδειξη Κάστρου Κασσιώπης" (in Greek). 21st Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of Greece. p. 384. http://www.yppo.gr/0/anaskafes/pdfs/21_EBA.pdf.
↑ ^7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 ^7.4 ^7.5 John Freely (28 April 2008). The Ionian Islands: Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaka and Beyond. I. B. Tauris, Limited. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-84511-696-5.
↑ Myrto Veikou (25 May 2012). Byzantine Epirus: A Topography of Transformation. Settlements of the Seventh-Twelfth Centuries in Southern Epirus and Aetoloacarnania, Greece. BRILL. p. 54. ISBN 978-90-04-22746-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=AQ4yAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54.

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The original article can be found at Kassiopi Castle and the edit history here.

[Stamatopoulos-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 Stamatopoulos, Nondas (1993). Old Corfu: history and culture (3 ed.). N. Stamatopoulos. p. 166. http://books.google.com/books?id=6m0-AQAAIAAJ&q=Gardiki+castle+nondas+stamatopoulos&dq=Gardiki+castle+nondas+stamatopoulos&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nw2QUrLGMqKf2QWhr4G4CQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA.

[Philippidēs1983-2] Dēmētrēs Philippidēs (1983). Greek Traditional Architecture: Eastern Aegean, Sporades-Ionian Islands. 1. Melissa. p. 222. http://books.google.com/books?id=l0tQAAAAMAAJ&q=Angelokastro&dq=Angelokastro&hl=en&ei=a3FgTbbZLsOAlAe9_JiODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCoQ6AEwATha.

[UNESCO-3] "The Old Town of Corfu Nomination for inclusion on the World Heritage List STATE PARTY Greece STATE, PROVINCE OR REGION Greece, lonian Islands Region, Corfu Prefecture NAME OF PROPERTY The Old Town of Corfu". UNESCO. p. 29. http://whc.unesco.org/uploads/nominations/978.pdf. "One thing is certain, however. The area under plough outside the walls increased, since the village communities multiplied across the entire island (if we are to judge from the Byzantine castles that have survived) in order to protect the fields. They are castles such as Kassiopi, Angelokastro and Gardiki and, of course, the Old Fortress which was the medieval town itself."

[Young1977-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Martin Young (1977). Corfu and the Other Ionian Islands. Cape. p. 108. ISBN 978-0-224-01307-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=IVMjAQAAIAAJ&q=Angelokastro&dq=Angelokastro&hl=en&ei=a3FgTbbZLsOAlAe9_JiODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDcQ6AEwBDha.

[Voyadjis-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Sotiris Voyadjis; Ασπασία Ραπτάκη. "Το κάστρο της Κασσιώπης, Κέρκυρα" (in Greek). Academia.edu, Ionian Society of Historical Studies. pp. 13–34. http://www.academia.edu/3523419/_.

[Ephorate-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 "Συνολική Ανάδειξη Κάστρου Κασσιώπης" (in Greek). 21st Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities of Greece. p. 384. http://www.yppo.gr/0/anaskafes/pdfs/21_EBA.pdf.

[Freely2008-7] 7.0 ^7.1 ^7.2 ^7.3 ^7.4 ^7.5 John Freely (28 April 2008). The Ionian Islands: Corfu, Cephalonia, Ithaka and Beyond. I. B. Tauris, Limited. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-84511-696-5.

[Veikou2012-8] Myrto Veikou (25 May 2012). Byzantine Epirus: A Topography of Transformation. Settlements of the Seventh-Twelfth Centuries in Southern Epirus and Aetoloacarnania, Greece. BRILL. p. 54. ISBN 978-90-04-22746-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=AQ4yAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA54.

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