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Kastro is a small village in the Greek island of Thassos. It is believed to be the oldest village on the island. The village name comes from the old castle that existed here to protect the inhabitants.
The settlement was first mentioned in 1434 in connection with the establishment of a local fortress or citadel by Umberto Grimaldi, when Thassos was ruled by the Genoese Dorino I Gattilusio. The ruins of the citadel's wall can still be seen. Over the centuries, Kastro, like other mountain villages, was a refuge from pirates. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453 a large number of Greeks came to the island, and most settled in Theologos and Kastro. Under Ottoman administration, the place was known as Yenihisar (New Castle).
The village has a small church dedicated to St Athanasius, which has the blazon of Gattilusio on one of the outside walls. The church was built in 1804, within forty days, with the help of all the inhabitants. The stones used to build the church came from the old castle's ruins. Gattilusio's blazon was added to the church's wall, but it was put upside down. In 1980, the church was declared a historical monument, being one of the oldest churches in Thassos.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.