Greece · Ruin
Castle of Akrotiri
The Castle of Akrotiri is a former Venetian fortress on the Greek island of Santorini, now a ruin at the centre of the village of Akrotiri. Built on a hillside above the settlement, the fortress was reduced to ruin by an earthquake in 1956.
Its prime
1600
Today
Ruin
As it stood in 1600
What Castle of Akrotiri looked like in its prime.
Perched on a rocky hill above the whitewashed village, the castle presents a layered silhouette of rectangular stone blocks, low curtain walls and collapsed terraces of dark volcanic masonry interspersed with pale plastered façades. The highest point is a boxy masonry keep with partly surviving upper walls; below it are stepped enclosures and rubble-built rooms opening onto the slope. A small white chapel bell-gable sits close to the ruined works. Vegetation is sparse on the stony terraces.
Its story
The story of Castle of Akrotiri.
The Republic of Venice, which had occupied Santorini in 1207 and was eager to fortify the island, built the castle in the 13th century on top of an existing Byzantine watchtower near the hillside village of Akrotiri, one of a chain of fortresses and watchtowers raised at key points, and one of the most defensible positions on the island.
The fortress remained unconquered throughout the first of the Ottoman–Venetian Wars before finally surrendering to the Ottomans in 1617. It stayed in relatively good condition until an earthquake reduced it to ruin in 1956; the remains, also known as Goulas or La Ponta, now lie at the centre of the village.
Step inside
7 places to explore in 1600.
The record describes 7 distinct spots at Castle of Akrotiri, including 1 interior: ruined domestic blocks within the walls. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.
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