Feraklos Castle

Charaki, Greece

Feraklos Castle is a ruined medieval fortress, located on an 85 m-high hill overlooking the village of Charaki. It was originally built in the Byzantine era and captured by the Knights Hospitaller on 20 September 1306, being their first possession on the island that would become their base. By 1408 it was in ruins, and was repaired under the Grand Masters Giovanni Battista Orsini (1467–76) and Pierre d'Aubusson (1476–1503) as a stronghold to protect the area, and particularly watch over the anchorages at the Charaki and Agia Agathi beaches nearby.

After 1470, the Hospitallers abandoned all other fortifications on the island except for Feraklos, nearby Lindos, and the city of Rhodes, which in turn were further strengthened. A decree of 1474 prescribed that the Feraklos Castle was the place of refuge by the inhabitants of the villages of Malona, Salia, Katagros, Zinodotou, and Kaminari when there was danger.

The fort was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1523 after a long siege, a few months after the capture of Rhodes. The Ottomans did not use the castle and it has since been abandoned.

The fortress has an irregular polygonal layout, with a wall perimeter of 680 m encompassing an area of 1,700 square meters. The northern and western portions date to Byzantine times, but the rest are additions or modifications by the Hospitallers. A single gate and two cylindrical towers survive in the southern portion of the walls, along with a cistern in the interior.

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Charaki, Greece
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Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Greece

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Καλλιόπη Μήτρα (16 months ago)
One of the best places I ever visit...the energy of the castle is really nice...and the cave is really good;) worth it ;)
Joonas Tammisto (2 years ago)
Huge castle ruins, wear proper shoes to climb up. There is small cave in bottom on castle, check it out.
Mantas Stancelis (2 years ago)
It's ok if you enjoy a bit of climbing, there are run down stairs from southern side of the hill, would go there just for the coastal views.
Andrea Damato (2 years ago)
Debilitated structure. Difficult to reach for people with mobility issues. Historic buildings not restored
Algirdas Švilpa (2 years ago)
I love ruined places. There is no information tables there (google info if you are interested). Hard to find entrance (from north side, there is kind of stairs). Found tunnels under it. Wear good shoes, it is not safe there. You on your own there.
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