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Kastro ( gr, Κάστρο) is a small village in the interior of the
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
island of
Thassos Thasos or Thassos ( el, Θάσος, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. The island has an area of and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate re ...
. 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 centre of the island, at a height of 450–500 m above sea level. It can be reached from
Limenaria Limenaria ( el, Λιμενάρια, ''meaning'': covelets) is a village on the island of Thasos in northern Greece. The village numbers 2480 residents (2011 census) and is the second largest settlement on the island of Thasos. The settlement is ...
on an asphalt road or from Theologos on a dirt road. According to the 2011 census, the population of Kastro was 9. And in 2018 the population was 1Census 2011, Greek Statistical Office (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ)
(Excel document, 2.6 MB)


History

The settlement was first mentioned in 1434 in connection with the establishment of a local fortress or citadel (
acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...
) by Umberto Grimaldi, when
Thassos Thasos or Thassos ( el, Θάσος, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. The island has an area of and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate re ...
was ruled by the Genoese
Dorino I Gattilusio Dorino Gattilusio (died 30 June 1455) was the fourth Gattilusio Lord of Lesbos from 1428 until his death. He ruled Lesbos at a time of increasing Ottoman power, and his last years were preoccupied with maintaining some measure of independence. L ...
. The ruins of the citadel's wall can still be seen. Over the centuries, Kastro, like other mountain villages, was a refuge from pirates. After the
fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...
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''). Because of its remote and inhospitable location it remained a poor settlement, and in 1856 had only 60 houses. Georges Perrot: ''Memoire de l’ile de Thasos'' (Archives des missions scientifiques et littéraires; vol 1). Imprimerie Impériale, Paris 1864, p70. In the late 19th century, the island's inhabitants started to move from mountain villages to the coast, transforming temporary fishermen's settlements into villages. Inhabitants of Kastro moved to the villages of Kalyvia and
Limenaria Limenaria ( el, Λιμενάρια, ''meaning'': covelets) is a village on the island of Thasos in northern Greece. The village numbers 2480 residents (2011 census) and is the second largest settlement on the island of Thasos. The settlement is ...
. A similar thing happened to most mountain villages: Kazaviti (Megalos/Mikros Prinos) has Prinos, Rachoni has Skala Rachoniou, Theologos has
Potos The kinkajou ( /ˈkɪŋkədʒuː/ ''KING-kə-joo''; ''Potos flavus'') is a tropical rainforest mammal of the family Procyonidae related to olingos, coatis, raccoons, and the ringtail and cacomistle. It is the only member of the genus ''Potos' ...
, etc. Many names of coastal villages on the island start with "''Skala''" ("ladder" in Greek), referring to the connection between the mountain village and its coastal village.


Buildings

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 The House of Gattilusio was a powerful Genoese family who controlled a number of possessions in the northern Aegean from 1355 until the mid 15th century. Anthony Luttrell has pointed out that this family had developed close connections to the Byz ...
on one of the outside walls. The church was built in 1804, within forty days, with the help of all the inhabitants. The stones used to build the church came from the old castle's ruins. Gattilusio's blazon was added to the church's wall, but it was put upside down. In 1980, the church was declared a historical monument, being one of the oldest churches in
Thassos Thasos or Thassos ( el, Θάσος, ''Thásos'') is a Greek island in the North Aegean Sea. It is the northernmost major Greek island, and 12th largest by area. The island has an area of and a population of about 13,000. It forms a separate re ...
. Every 18 January the church continues to attract people to celebrate the memory of St Athanasius. On the remains of the old citadel (acropolis) is the village's
ossuary An ossuary is a chest, box, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. They are frequently used where burial space is scarce. A body is first buried in a temporary grave, then after some years the ...
, still used to keep skeletal remains of the deceased inhabitants.


References


External links

{{coord, 40.6700, N, 24.6556, E, source:wikidata, display=title Populated places in Thasos