Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Sights for wider area of: "MYRINA Small town LEMNOS (LIMNOS)" .
MYRINA (Small town) LEMNOS (LIMNOS)
Tel: +30 22540 24091
Fax: +30 22540 24091
The castle of Myrina, built on a steep rocky peninsula and connected with the land on the east side, is the largest fortress in the Aegean. The wall is considerably high on the east and south sides, and the towers are quite dense, while on the north and west sides the wall is much lower and the towers very few. On the highest point of the hill stands a half-ruined, multi-roomed defensive building. Also preserved in the enclosed area are an Ottoman mosque , a subterranean vaulted room, and cisterns.
The fortress took its present form in 1207, when the Venetian Philokalos Navigajoso, the Great Duke of Lemnos, fortified Myrina. The castle was reinforced by his successor Leonardo Navigajoso, who managed to keep it under his control for 45 years. During the Turkish occupation the area within the castle was inhabited by the Turks. The walls were severely damaged in 1770, during the siege of Myrina by the Russian fleet.
The monument is open to the public.
The castle of Myrina is known as Paleocastro, which in Greek means
"the old castle" in order to be distinguished from the one in Kotsinas.
It was built in 1186 by the Byzantine emperor Andronikos Komninos,
who used principally Venetian workmen. This is why often the castle is considered
to be Venetian. It was constructed on older sections of walls, probably archaic
ones. These older sections - excellent pieces of Cyclopean walls - are visible
exactly opposite the main entrance, as well as in the interior. Architectural
remains of older buildings were used in many spots as building material. The castle
we see today was constructed during the Ottoman Empire, but if someone looks closer,
he will see the sections built by Andronikos.
One can enter by the side of the harbour, which is the main entrance.
An impressive paved road brings to a terrace, where the ruins of a mosque are
preserved. The second entrance, from the side of Romeikos
Gialos, called Mavrochani, is hardly visible form a distance. Along the length
of the walls, strong bastions, some of them still in a quite good condition, reinforce
it.
The many reconstructions of this castle no doubt indicate its importance
for the defense of the island and generally the control of N.E. Aegean
Sea. During 1207-1214 the Great Duke of Limnos
Filocalo Navigajiosi repaired it, in 1361 Georgios Sinadinos Astras, who was Governor
of the island at that period, in 1470-1477 Francesco Pasqualingo... One of the
last times the castle was used was in 1770 when Russian army under A. Orlof tried
to conquer it in order to liberate the island from the Turks. This was impossible,
so the Russians raised off the siege and left the island without offering any
kind of help to local population. Today the only inhabitants of the castle are
about 200 deers. The Municipality
of Myrina cares their food and water.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Lemnos
Provincial Government tourist pamphlet (1997).
Receive our daily Newsletter with all the latest updates on the Greek Travel industry.
Subscribe now!
