Mylopotamos Castle #1212

Description

Panormos, located 20 km west of Rethymnon, was known as Castelli of Mylopotamos or Roumeli Castelli at the beginning of the 20th century. It is thought to be built on the site of the ancient Roman town of Panormos. Before the 20th century, Roumeli Castelli was one of the most significant commercial ports of Crete, serving the entire Mylopotamos region.

Next to the village pier and along the steep coastline, the Genoese pirate Enrico Pescatore built the fortress known as "Castel Milopotamo" in the early 13th century. When the Venetians took over Crete, they restored the fortress, and a settlement (bourg) began to develop around it, eventually becoming the present-day village of Panormos.

The egg-shaped fort was oriented north to south and featured seven towers and two gates—one facing the sea and another on the southern side. In 1341, the Kapsokalives family besieged the fort, where Alex Kallergis, a notable Cretan who betrayed the locals and joined the Venetians, was hiding. However, they soon abandoned the siege.

In 1538, the pirate Hairendin Barbarossa destroyed Castel Milopotamo, but it was promptly rebuilt by the Venetians due to its strategic location. Later, in 1647, the Turks, advancing towards Candia after capturing the castle of Rethymno, besieged and occupied the fort. The Venetians attempted to reclaim it under the command of General Gildasi (Gil d'Has) but failed.

Today, only a small section of the wall remains, resembling a heap of stones, and very little else is left of the once impressive fort