Bonriparo Castle #1188

Description

The fortress was originally constructed during the Second Byzantine Period, around 1185, and was then known as the Tower of Melissinos.

After the fall of Constantinople in 1204, Crete was granted to Boniface de Montferrat, one of the leaders of the Fourth Crusade. He sold the island to the Venetians for 1,000 silver marks. However, at the time, the Venetians were preoccupied with their territories elsewhere, particularly in the Peloponnese. This opened an opportunity for Enrico Pescatore, a Genoese pirate, to occupy Crete in 1206. He quickly began building and repairing fortifications across the island, including this castle, which he named Bonriparo (meaning "Stronghold"). The locals later referred to it as "Monopari."

By 1211, the Venetians had reclaimed control of Crete, paying Pescatore to leave the island. Venetian rule over Crete lasted until 1645, when the Ottomans conquered the island.

Monopari is connected to the so-called revolution of the "Two Syvritos," named after the two mountainous regions in Rethymno—Amari (Upper Syvritos) and St. Basil (Lower Syvritos). This revolt, which took place from 1217 to 1236, was also known as the Skordilis and Melissinos revolt. It began when the Venetian castellano (castle commander) of Bonriparo, Pietro Filicanevo, stole horses and sheep from the Skordilis family. John Skordilis lodged a complaint with the Venetian Duke, Paul Kourino, but his grievance was ignored, triggering a large-scale rebellion in the two provinces. The revolution ended in 1236 when the Venetians agreed to grant equal rights and privileges to the Skordilis and Melissinos families.