Ruined or standing alone, on low hills or inaccessible cliffs, they remain unchanged in their place over the centuries. They are the Medieval Castles, scattered at strategic points in the countryside of Rhodes, each with its own historical route. We set out to discover them.

As Emm. K. Papamanolis (1) : ” Each castle in its time was a place of respect and sanctity, since they were the only shelters of unarmed people being hunted by the brazen and barbaric pirates. Technical development has rendered them obsolete as a means of protection against raids, but intact or ruined they stand mute witnesses to obsolete invasions and symbols of the inhabitants’ will not to submit. However, we must distinguish the historical destination of the castles of the Dodecanese from those of the Frankish feudal lords in Europe. While in Europe and in many parts of mainland Greece, castles were centres for the preservation of the feudal social system, thus symbols of oppression of the popular masses, this was not the case in the Dodecanese. There the castles were built by the Byzantines or the Knights by the will and in the interests of the people themselves and to defend their lives from enemy or pirate raids. We can therefore regard them as symbols of freedom.

The Castle of Archangelos

Starting from the Plaza Hotel, we begin our tour from the city of Rhodes in a southerly direction towards the famous Lindos. We follow the coastal road network along the eastern coastline, with its wonderful beaches and the vast sandy bay of Afandos. At 27 km we turn left towards the Monastery of Panagia Tsampika. A narrow, uphill concrete road crosses a forest of pine trees and large cypresses and after 1.3 km ends in a clearing with a cafeteria and café.

The baton of the route is already being passed on to the feet. From an altitude of 280 m we start climbing wide steps, numbered every 5 with white paint. The route is unique. It unfolds under the shade of a vast cypress forest. Their giant and complex trunks, impressive creations of nature, are literally wedged for many centuries between the limestone cliffs of the steep slope. Perhaps never before have we encountered so many and so spectacular perennial cypress trees gathered together.

13 minutes after our departure we cover the altitude difference of 90 meters to the top of the rocky hill, at 370 meters. Here is the small monastery of Panagia Tsampika and the stone church with its thick walls and beautiful frescoes. All the floors of the courtyard, the narthex and the nave are decorated with elaborate pebbled representations of smooth white and black pebbles depicting, birds, flowers, dolphins, a rose with 28 rays, a two-headed eagle. There is a built-in limestone fountain with water, and the adjacent cistern is dry. The view at all points of the horizon is stunning, while the floor plan on the sandy beach of Chabika is unique. Several Greeks but many more foreigners take the uphill for a pilgrimage to the monastery of Panagia, but also to the so impressive nature balcony.

Continuing to the south of our route we reach, 3 km later, the first houses of Archangelos. We cross the large village, climb slightly and at its eastern end, at an altitude of 180 meters, we find ourselves in front of the ramparts of the Castle. The masonry consists of elaborate clay masonry with a lime mortar binder. The surviving height in some places is considerable, approaching or even exceeding 10 metres. However, the thickness of the masonry is not great, ranging around one metre. This fact, combined with the low height and the easy accessibility of the hill make the Castle of Archangelos vulnerable to enemy attacks. Its position, however, is strategic, facing the sea, the surrounding hills and the plain. Inside the castle, there are a few remains of stone walls and a chapel built into the E-NE part of the fortification. In the front, north-western part of the masonry, there are marble doorways.

It is not known whether there was a Byzantine castle at the site. What is certain is that in its present form it was erected by the Knights Hospitallers after the terrible invasion of the Turkish fleet in 1457. However, despite its constant repairs and reinforcements, the fortress of Archangelos was not able to effectively protect its inhabitants due to its physical and technical weaknesses.

The Castle of Feraklos

From Archangelos we continue south. After almost 5 km we leave the main network and turn left towards the coastal village of Haraki. Here we don’t need to look for the next castle. It stands opposite us on the top of a hill that, by a geological quirk, rises lonely and steep, next to the flat coast. Its shape resembles a cone and according to Emm. Papamanolis (n.d.) the circumference of the hill is 1100 m at its base and 400 m at the top.

However, it is not only the massive hill of the castle with its solid, reddish limestone that is impressive. It is also the overall coastline that frames the Castle: from the north the beautiful sandy beach of Agathi and from the south the stunning twin cove of Haraki. From here, a few metres above the houses of the picturesque village, we attempt our ascent to the Castle of Feraklos.

We slowly take the ascent, cross a meadow with countless flowers and in 3 minutes we arrive in front of a wire fence. Enter the interior and continue along a rudimentary path, among the grass and stones of the rough slope. It is a difficult walk, especially in the last section, with a rough approach to the half-ruined gate of the castle.

It takes us 10 minutes to reach the level of the acropolis at an altitude of 85 meters. Here the masonry is stronger than Archangel’s, approaching two meters. The interior of the castle is almost flat, with a circular shape. The whole area is covered with thorny bushes and tall grasses that hide the unevenness of the ground and the stones.

Starting a path towards the N side of the fortress, we discover after about 30 meters an impressive sized cistern with sides of about 8 meters and almost equal in height. The construction is in carved stone, and lime mortar survives on the walls. A few dozen metres to the north, the stone mouth of a small well is visible. Next to it is the ruined masonry of a house.

We reach the northern end of the citadel, at the highest point of the hill, where the altitude is 95 m. We are in awe of the sheer cliff, which makes the castle completely impenetrable. Down below, the sweet embrace of Agatha tickles our vision. We had the same stunning view earlier to the south, in the twin cove of Haraki.

The name of the fortress is due to the bare and treeless hill on which it is built. Probably in ancient times it was the acropolis of a municipality of Rhodes. The fortress was later erected by the Byzantines to protect the area from pirates. In the early 15th century it was seen in ruins and is mentioned in his book by the Florentine monk Cristoforos Buondelmontis.

The Fortress of Feraklos was the first to be conquered by the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem on September 30, 1306. After the pirate raids by the Turks, the Knights decided to improve the fortification of the fortress. Thus in 1470, Grand Master Orsini visited Feraklos, which in 1474 was able to protect a large part of the population. In 1479, Feraklos was among the four strongest fortresses on the island, together with the fortresses of Rhodes, Monolithos and Lindos.

Another view and access to the fortress is provided by the hill from its western side. It is also very impressive, with crags of solid limestone, creating an inaccessible natural fortification, 90 metres above the surface of the flat ground. At the foot of this imposing rocky complex are two tunnels, about 50 metres apart. They are perfectly carved and penetrate several metres into the rock.

A little to the east of the right-hand tunnel is the access to the hill, with a roughly built cobbled path and stone steps in between. A few minutes later this access also meets the already familiar, poor and rudimentary path on the N side.

Before leaving this very special place, we cross the beach of the picturesque village of Haraki to the south. At the end of the velvety cove, on a lilipedal promontory of the coast, is the Argo fish tavern. Its veranda is right above the water in a spot that is impossible to imagine more beautiful.

From the shade and the coolness of this dreamy balcony, we look out over Haraki and the bay with its clear waters and, higher up, the impressive bulk of Falacros. Three meters in front of us, a local young man, who is up to his knees in the water. In boots and waterproof trousers and defying the rough rocks, he is fishing with a rod.

The Castle of Asclepius

Our tour, apart from the satisfaction of identifying the castles, also gives us the opportunity to get to know the various aspects of the Rhodian landscape: the stunning sandy beaches, the pine-covered slopes, the small rivers and streams that carry water from the mountains to the coast. And then there are the luxury hotel complexes that have been developed all along this privileged coastline.

Always heading south, we temporarily leave the peninsula of the famous Lindos on our left and, a few kilometres later, turn right and climb slightly uphill towards the settlement of Asclepius. We cross the beautiful village and at its highest point, at about 200 metres, we reach the roots of the imposing bastion. A well-made cobbled path with steps leads us in a minute inside. We pass through the vaulted gateway with the strongest masonry, more than one and a half meters thick. Built in above must have been the doorway, which has been removed. The ground of the interior is smooth and flowery, almost circular in shape and not more than 40 metres in diameter. Four battlements survive on the ramparts and another bastion at the SW end. Several parts of the masonry have collapsed, but others survive to a considerable height. Large parts of the masonry rest on solid vertical rocks, which form a natural fortification of the castle.

In the centre of the space a deep stone tank is preserved. In contact with the S end of the fortification there is another, large tank with the hydraulic coffer visible on the walls.

The position of the castle on the top of the hill is strategic and the view of the sea and the mainland is unique. Down low, to the W-NW of the elongated valley, the winding flow of the Asclepinos River shines in the sun like molten silver.

As far as its historical course is concerned, it seems that in 1474 the fortress was not in good condition. That is why Grand Master Orsini ordered the inhabitants to retreat – in case of a Turkish invasion – to the strongest castle of Lindos. In 1479, however, D’Aubusson must have repaired the castle, because not only the inhabitants of Asclepius, but also those of the surrounding area were ordered to shut themselves in the castle.

The castle of Castellos or Kritinia

We change our orientation completely. From the east coast we head to the northwestern tip of Rhodes. There is the Castle of Castellos or Kritinia, our next medieval destination. To get there from Rhodes town, we have to choose between two routes. The first is the shortest and simplest, a route that is almost flat, with very little variation. It runs parallel to the N-NW coastline and permanently overlooks the vastness of the Aegean Sea.

The beaches are extensive and mostly rocky. Here nature has been sparing, having exhausted its favour in the lovely sandy coves of the eastern coastline. The consequence of this Doric aspect of the coast is the rudimentary tourist development, in contrast to the explosive development of the eastern beaches of the island.

The second route is almost twice as long, much more demanding, time-consuming, with altitude variations and numerous bends. Its diversity, however, is fascinating, bringing us into direct contact with the most beautiful part of the mountainous country of Rhodes, from E to W. This route alone could justify the creation of an exclusive article. Starting from the famous “Seven Springs”. It is the location with the dreamlike natural environment in the valley of the Loutani River.

So, at the height of Kolymbia we turn right towards Archipolis and Seven Springs. We follow a course parallel to the bed of the Loutani River. The impressive width of the bed and the innumerable pebbles prove the long-term erosion of the soil by large amounts of water. Even today, in the third ten days of April, there is still a lot of flow in the centre of the bed.

The “Seven Springs” are well-known and popular among Greeks and foreigners. At the moment of our approach three buses are stopped on the asphalt. Their passengers, of various nationalities, are already beginning to patiently climb the 600 meters of the concrete road that leads to the Seven Wells. At the end of the route, paradise begins : a stunning ravine with century-old pine trees, towering plane trees and a stream with a crystal clear flow. A tavern, operating since 1945, has developed its numerous tables at different levels, in the most beautiful shady spots of the ravine. Here are also numbered the places from which the 7 springs gush out. A beautiful path, countless small ponds and just below the tavern the mouth of a concrete tunnel.  After about 150 meters, the tunnel ends in an artificial lake, carrying part of the water from the 7 springs.

Continue  with an idyllic route alongside the ravine. Next to the road we meet the church of Agios Nektarios. From the three hydrants of the built fountain flows plenty of excellent water. At the fork we continue straight on towards Archipolis and Profitis Ilias. To the south, the horizon is blocked by Koutsoutsoytis, a rocky mountain range with wind turbines that slowly rotate on the ridge. Pine forests, flowering mimosa trees and small olive groves are interspersed in our field of vision.

Climbing steeply towards Profitis Ilias we pass by the once imposing building complex of Sanatorium, with its multiple arches, the old colours on the walls and the other elements of its characteristic architecture. The altitude has risen to 320 m. On the three-strand route we choose the middle route, which passes by the Koskinisti Fountain, the Monastery of Panagia Eleousa and a wonderful circular pool among cypress and plane trees. We continuously cross a stunning pine forest, whose ground is decorated with beautiful orchids. George Tartaris, our good friend and colleague, was not wrong to be enthusiastic about this particular route.

A little further up, a short stop at a stunning spot with century-old olive trees, plane trees and holly trees. And even with a spring of excellent water, a gazebo and benches, grass and a playground. In this idyllic setting, at 370 meters, is nestled an elegant 15th century artifact, the Agios Nikolaos Fountouklis. The church is a cruciform church with a dome, heavy masonry and a built-in bell tower. The rich fresco decoration has several damages, while the absence of an iconostasis is characteristic.

Climbing continuously through a pine forest, we reach an altitude of 650 metres. We are on the verdant slopes of Profitis Ilias, with the monastery of the same name. Here the stop is imposed by “Elafos”, the emblematic Italian hotel, built in 1929.

Equally impressive is the interior, with old photographs and period furniture, the successive spacious rooms, each with its own role and character. The overall excellent atmosphere is complemented by the wonderful coffee, the attentiveness of the staff and a unique view, which descends over the tops of pine and cypress trees to the coast. After the huge summer hotels on the coast of Rhodes, here is a proposal of accommodation in one of the 24 rooms of Elafos, completely unique. A stay not only with the coolness of summer but also with the snow of winter, next to the romantic flames of the fireplace.

But it is not only Elafos. Above the parking lot is also the “Elafaki”, the traditional tavern with the wood-fired oven and the beautiful dining room.

With our first step inside the tavern an incredible smell seduces our sense of smell.

– What are you cooking that smells like this?

-Rublets in the wood-fired oven with Rhodes goat, answers Despina, the cook. It’s been roasting since last night over a low fire, now it’s become a “loukoumi”.

I glance at my watch. It’s not even 11 yet.

– Forget it, Anna tells me. At this hour others are having breakfast. But wait a minute, let’s do something else. Mrs. Despina, can we take the goat in a package?

-Sure, I’ll take care of it.

With the goat being a constant challenge in the back seat of the car we continue this – full of unexpected – route in the mountains. Our original destination has almost slipped from memory. Old odometers appear after every kilometre on the sides of the road. Shortly after km 46 we come across an excellent water source carved in marble. As we descend, the austere, completely bare mountain range of Atavyros looms in front of us, with 1,216 metres of the highest peak.

We head towards Empona, the landscape changes, the slopes are filled with vineyards. It is the predominant wine producing area of Rhodes with family – as a rule – units producing a wide variety of local wines and also “souma”, tsipouro from must. From time to time, some ‘Kavas’, well-established businesses, are displayed at topical points along the route, offering passers-by the opportunity to taste soumas and wines free of charge.

At ‘Cava Stafylos’ we decide to give in to temptation. We do not regret it. We rest in the shade, taste fine souma and local wines, talk to the wine producers and get a good overall picture of the contemporary Rhodian wine reality. Furthermore, we admire the authentic depiction of the interiors of the old house of the family’s grandmother, with all the traditional objects and utensils.

Smiling but not dizzy, we cross the large, vibrant village of Emponas, which reminds us of a vast wine shop and tasting room for soums and wines. It is the ideal place to forget not only one’s destination but also all one’s troubles. This time we resist the sirens, turn north towards the settlement of Kritinia and, a few kilometres later, we arrive in front of the homonymous castle.

The name of the castle was originally Castellos, like the village, but in 1945 it was renamed Kritinia. With a rectangular shape, the fortress is built on top of a gentle hill, with its W side overlooking the sea and the islands of Halki, Alimia, Tilos and other small islands.

The arch of the D side is steep, providing the safest natural fortification of the castle. Large parts of the other sides are relatively smooth and so access to the castle by an attacker is not particularly problematic. This is also the reason for the strong fortification of these sides. It consists of elaborate clay masonry, combined with lime mortar and carved cornerstones.

On the A wall are two circular towers with the coat of arms of the Grand Master D’Amboise and Caretto. On the south side are the coats of arms of D’Aubusson and Orsini. However, in the decrees of Orsini in 1474 and D’Aubusson in 1479 the fortress is not mentioned at all, although the coats of arms of both Grand Masters are present. According to Em. Papamanolis, as to the time of the fortress’ construction, we can say that it dates back to Orsini’s time (1467-1476), while it is not mentioned by Bosio as Castel Nuovo until 1480. Moreover, the coats of arms embedded in the masonry show the Knights’ constant effort, after the Fall of Constantinople, to fortify the fortress to prevent the Turkish fleet from raiding the islands.

Sturdy stone steps lead us to the square tower, the highest point of the castle. From an altitude of 160 metres, it looks down on the rocky coast and the scattered islands in the distance. Apart from the sea, the castle also overlooks a large part of the mainland interior. The longest side of the rectangular fortification runs from NE to SW, about 80 metres long, while the length of the other side should not exceed 70 metres.

Walking around the interior reveals many features, unseen at first glance. Thus, apart from some ruined buildings, we find about 30 metres NE of the tower a well-built circular tank, sealed internally with curtains.

About 20 meters lower and to the right of the main gate there is another tank, this one square. Finally, at the E end, in contact with the wall, there is a vaulted temple without a roof. The scent of fresh oregano, which is everywhere, accompanies our steps at every turn. It is now midday, hot and harshly lit. Perfect time for a cool stop in the shade of the pine trees before we set off for the Castle of Monolithos, our last medieval destination.

The Castle of Monolithos

We are heading south. At the height of Siana, we face lower, to the east, vast bare slopes. Once overgrown with pine trees, they were destroyed by the great fires that hit Rhodes in the last decade. We cross the settlement of Monolithos and two kilometres later, under the road, a steep, rocky hill unexpectedly looms. On its top, with the blue surface of the Aegean Sea as a background, the outline of the Castle of Monolithos is outlined. The land background of the castle is deep green, from the solid forest of pine trees. The spot could not be more beautiful or spectacular. A well-kept path takes us in a minute to the foot of the steep hill. The castle of Monolithos rises 30 metres higher than the ground, following the vertical cliffs. The excellent masonry with carved stone, mortar and tiles is preserved at a height of about 10 metres. A cobbled street and well-made stone steps lead us inside.In its centre stands out the all-white chapel of Agios Panteleimon, one-roomed, with a vaulted roof and with masonry more than a metre thick.

With a roughly circular shape and an imaginary diameter of 40-50 metres, the castle overlooks from an altitude of 280 metres, the steep pine-clad slopes that lead to the wild coastline. Then the horizon belongs to the blue vastness of the Aegean Sea. The protection of the south and west sides of the fortress is undertaken in the safest way by the inaccessible, vertical cliff. Thus, the wall here is low. The interior of the castle is not smooth, it is rocky and overgrown with cypress trees which, because of the strong winds, have kept their bole low. The thickness of the trunks, however, betrays their great age.

The north side of the castle is also inaccessible. Here an old, ruined, domed chapel survives. On the stones of the masonry there are numerous engravings, some of them dated 1894 and 1886. According to Emm. In this fortified place there was probably a small Byzantine castle, which in 1474 must have been very dilapidated, since neither the castle nor the village is mentioned in Orsini’s decree. Bosio, however, mentions that the Council of the Order of the Knights in 1476, the year D’Aubusson took over the Magistracy, decided to build the fortress of Monolithos to offer refuge to the villagers in case of a Turkish invasion.

In the decree of 1479 it is mentioned that the inhabitants of Apolakkia had to take refuge in this castle. Thus the castle of Monolithos was one of the four strongest fortresses on the island, along with those of Rhodes, Falacros and Lindos.

The castle of Monolithos remained untouched by raids and by Turkish troops in the two great sieges of 1480 and 1522. It was finally abandoned by the fortress commander and its defenders on 27 November 1522, when they were ordered to go and reinforce the castle of Rhodes, along with other forces on the island.

The enigmatic “Fourni”

Just below the castle, the road continues downhill with successive bends towards the beach of Fourni. This is where the famous “Caves” are hidden. We set out to discover them. We first arrive at “Aliki”, a twin sandy cove, at a distance of 4.2 km from the castle. The road, however, continues and, a few hundred meters later, ends at the beach of Fourni. It is a beautiful cove, with an opening of about 400 metres, fine pebbles, sandy beach and clear waters that gradually deepen.

If one is not prepared, one could settle for the lure of the beach and then leave. But here, at the E end of the bay, a sign directs us to the “Caves”. A thickly built cobbled path with steps climbs uphill for a few metres and then, like a rudimentary path, continues on a narrow peninsula, which enters the sea in a lance-shaped pattern. As we approach the end of the peninsula, the bushy vegetation disappears, giving way to ground covered with rock perfectly solid, a truly lunar landscape. From here onwards, “Fourni” gradually begin to reveal themselves. But let us leave it to Manolis I. Stephanakis (2) to describe in a scientific way the carvings in the rocks of the peninsula, which for every visitor, non-specialist, are caves of enigmatic nature:

“About 5 km southwest of Monolithos is the small peninsula of Fourni, named after a number of carved cavities in the natural soft rock of the slope. The area was already known at the end of the 19th century and was briefly described by Biliotti and Cotre in their book translated in 1881 under the title The Island of Rhodes (eds. Maliaraki and S. Karavokyrou, pp. 91-92).

At the end of the peninsula there are the remains of a small circular tower (viga), probably of Hellenistic times, which the locals call “lighthouse”. On the ridge of the peninsula there are remains of ancient buildings and numerous carved structures in the natural soft rock, while the presence of pottery of ancient Greek and Christian times is also evident.

The erosion of the limestone soil and rocks has revealed several cavernous openings and carved structures that show the intense use of the site in antiquity, mainly as a cemetery. Most of the structures are of the type of the ancient Greek carved tomb, the most characteristic example being a large dithalamos. Tombs also appear to be the cavernous openings that have been revealed over time. Of these, the largest has an ellipsoidal plan and on its walls there are numerous engraved early Christian symbols and inscriptions. This fact and other engraved Christian symbols elsewhere in the area indicate that the ancient cemetery was reused during at least the first Christian centuries. Of particular interest is the rectangular-shaped carved structure with steps leading to the interior, known locally as the ‘Queen’s Bath’. In all likelihood, given the close relationship of the structure to sea level, it served as a fish tank.”

As, in the late afternoon, we climb the bends towards Kastro, we gaze for the last time at the sharp peninsula of Fourni. And we have every reason to feel happy that our tour was not only limited to our medieval destination but, quite unexpectedly, extended many centuries earlier to the island’s early Christian and ancient past.

References

(1) “Restoration and promotion of the ruined Medieval Castles of the Dodecanese”

(2) Manolis I. Stephanakis, Associate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Monetary Studies

Director of the MSc “Archaeology of the Eastern Mediterranean: Greece, Egypt, Near East”

Department of Mediterranean Studies – University of the Aegean.

Bibliography

-Emm. K. Papamanoli. “Restoration and promotion of the ruined Medieval Castles of the Dodecanese”. “POLITISTIKA DODEKANISOU”, Dodecanese House of Arts and Letters, Athens 1981.

Acknowledgements

-We warmly thank Professor Manolis Stefanakis for the immediate dispatch of the enlightening scientific text on the “Fournoi”.