Kastro, Thasos
Kastro (Greek: Κάστρο) is a small village in the interior of the Greek island of Thassos. It is believed to be the oldest village on the island. The village name comes from the old castle that existed here to protect the inhabitants (Kastro means Castle). The village is located in the center of the island, at a height of 450–500 m above sea level. It can be reached from Limenaria on asphalt road or from Theologos on dirt road.
According to the 2011 census, Kastro population was 9.[1]
The settlement was first mentioned in 1434 in connection with the establishment of a local fortress (acropolis / citadel) by Umberto Grimaldi, when Thassos was ruled by the Genoese Dorino I Gattilusio. Over the centuries, Kastro village, as the other mountain villages, was not just the home for its inhabitants, but even an excellent refuge, when they were hidding from pirates. After the fall of Constantinople in 1453 a large number of Greeks came to the island, and most settled in Theologos and Kastro. Under Ottoman administration, the place was known as Yenihisar (New Castle). Ruins of the citadel's wall can still be seen.
Because of its remote and inhospitable location it remained a poor settlement, and in 1856 had only 60 houses.[2]
In the late 19th century, the island's inhabitants started to move from mountain villages to the coast and they transformed the temporary fishermen settlements into villages. Correspondents for Kastro are villages of Kalyvia and Limenaria. Same thing happened to most mountain villages: Kazaviti (Megalos/Mikros Prinos) has Prinos, Rachoni has Skala Rachoniou, Theologos has Potos, etc. Many names of coastal villages on the island start with "Skala", which means "Ladder" in Greek, referring to connection between the mountain village and the coastal village.
Since the 1960s many of the buildings in the village have been rebuilt and restored.
The village has a small church dedicated to St Athanasius, which has the blazon of Gattilusio on one of the outside walls. The church was built in 1804, within forty days, with help coming from all inhabitants. The stones used to build the church were stones coming from the old castle's ruins and people also decided to add Gattilusio's blazon on the church's wall, but they put it upside down. In 1980, the church was declared a historical monument, being one of the oldest churches in Thassos.
Nowadays, on every january 18th, the church continues to gather people in order to celebrate the memory of St Athanasius.
On the remains of the old citadel (acropolis) is the village's ossuary, still used to keep skeletal remains of the deceased inhabitants.
References
- ↑ Census 2011, Greek Statistical Office (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Georges Perrot: Memoire de l’ile de Thasos (Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires; vol 1). Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1864, p70.
External links
Media related to Kastro (Thasos) at Wikimedia Commons
Coordinates: 40°40′12″N 24°39′20″E / 40.6700°N 24.6556°E