Kastro, Thasos
Kastro (Greek: Κάστρο) is a small village in the interior of the Greek island of Thasos. It is located at a height of 470-500 m above sea level northwest of Theologos. According to the 2011 census the population was 9.[1]
The settlement was first mentioned in 1434 in connection with the establishment of a local fortress (acropolis) by Umberto Grimaldi, when Thasos was ruled by the Genoese Dorino I Gattilusio. Over the centuries Kastro was an inland refuge from pirates for the population from the coastal settlements. 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).
Because of its remote and inhospitable location it remained a poor settlement, and in 1856 had only 60 houses.[2]
In the late 19th century, the inhabitants moved to the coast and founded the villages of Kalyvia and Limenaria. Since the 1960s many of the buildings in the village have been rebuilt and restored.
The village has a small church dedicated to St Athanasius, which has the crest of Gattilusio on the wall. On the acropolis there is the village's ossuary.
References
- ↑ Census 2011, Greek Statistical Office (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Georges Perrot: Memoire de l’ile de Thasos (Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires; vol 1). Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1864, p70.
External links
Media related to Kastro (Thasos) at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 40°40′12″N 24°39′20″E / 40.6700°N 24.6556°E