Castle of Oia Agios Nikolaos Castle #1292

Description

There are references to the castle dating from 1480, although it seems to have begun to take shape earlier, in the early period when the Venetians of the Duchy of Naxos became rulers of the island, around the beginning of the 13th century.

Today, only a part of the goulas (tower) of the Castle of Saint Nicholas in Oia survives. The castle was named after the cave church of Saint Nicholas, built around 1450.

The castle suffered severe damage from the 1956 earthquake, with large parts of the traditional settlement collapsing into the caldera’s sea. Significant churches, such as Saint George and Panagia Platsani, were completely destroyed.

Although few remnants of the castle remain, it remains one of Greece's most popular tourist spots. Every evening, people from around the world gather here to enjoy the sunset.