Agios Georgios Castle #1284

Description

The castle sits atop a hill 7 km from Argostoli, overseeing the southern part of Cephalonia and the Bay of Argostoli. Initially constructed by the Byzantines, it was later completed by the Venetians and served as the island’s administrative center until the 18th century, when the capital was moved to Argostoli.

The castle passed through the hands of the Byzantines, Franks, and Turks before the Venetians, with support from the Spanish armada and the people of Cephalonia, liberated it from Turkish control at the end of 1500. Over the next four years, the Venetians restored and fortified the castle walls, with engineer Nicolo della Cimara supervising the work in 1504.

In front of the castle, the Venetians established a *borgo* or suburb, which became known as Kastro. This construction was carried out by 40 Venetian craftsmen and local forced labor. The road from the castle to Argostoli, named *Strata Communa*, was strategically built behind the hill to keep it hidden from passing ships.

Completed in 1545, the castle quickly became the economic, cultural, and administrative center of Cephalonia. It remained the island’s capital until 1757, when Argostoli assumed this role. The castle suffered extensive damage from two major earthquakes in the 17th century, as well as the devastating 1953 earthquake, which severely affected its fortifications and buildings.