You may wish to see an introductory page first.
The Knights did not fortify only the main towns of each island, but with the objective of ensuring no enemy could approach their possessions without them knowing it, they built several other fortresses or castles at key points of the Dodecanese.
View of the fortress
The Knights built at the top of the hill a small fortress: its shape is not regular because it follows that of the underlying rock. The purpose of the fortification was to give protection to the peasants in case of pirates' raids. In addition the sea is visible from the top of the hill so that the arrival of an enemy fleet would have been detected earlier than from Rhodes.
Coats of arms of Grand Masters Orsini (1467-76) (left) and Zacosta (1461-67) (right)
Arhangelos was part of a system of fortifications built after 1453 to react to the Ottoman threat. The Knights built also another fortress on the eastern coast at Feraklio, between Arhangelos and Lindos.
The beach of Kremasti on the western coast of the island, opposite the Asian coast, is a very busy one: the old village located one mile from the sea was one of the first conquests of the Knights.
(left) What is left of the tower; (right) view towards the Asian coast
The tower at the centre of the old village has not been regarded as being worth some protection; it is now used as temporary shelter by
immigrants who cannot afford a better accommodation.
Other (larger) fortifications were built by the Knights on the western coast at Kamiros and Monolithos.
(above) View of the fortress from the sea; (below) western side of the fortress
The fortress is very large and it is clearly visible from the ferry linking Nissiros with Kos. It was strengthened with a round bastion, an indication that the Knights regarded it as very important in their defence system.
(left) Inner gate; (right) southern walls
In 1494 Grand Master (and Cardinal) Pierre d'Aubusson promoted an overall strengthening of the fortress. You can see his coat of arms in the image used as background for this page.
View towards the sea
Rhodes: the Gates
Rhodes: the Fortifications
Rhodes: the Town of the Knights
Rhodes: Byzantine, Ottoman and Jewish memories
Rhodes: modern Italian architecture
Kos: the Fortress
Kos: the Ancient Town
St. Peter's Castle (Bodrum)