Byzantine fortifications Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The present study examines four fortified complexes of Kos, namely the castles at Palio Pyli, Antimachia and Kefalos, and the small fortress at Kastelli Kefalou. They were all built in the medieval period (byzantine or hospitaller) and continued to be used well into modern times. These castles formed part of the island’s defences whose exact range is still unknown.
Byzantine fortifications are encountered only at Palio Pyli, dating from middle byzantine times. There is however no trace from the castle that was supposedly built by St.Christodoulos during his brief stay on the island (1080-8). Yet, at the end of the 11th-beginning of the 12th cen. a building activity is observed; and it is this point that we consider as a terminus for the existence of the castle.
Ceramic finds are valuable since late byzantine wares of the 13th-14th cen were collected from the castle of Palio Pyli, but also from Kefalos and Kastelli Kefalou. It is logical to conclude that under conditions of insecurity and upheaval in the area of eastern Aegean, the inhabitants sook refuge in more secure places. The question whether there had been fortifications at Kefalos and Kastelli Kefalou, remains unanswered.
So, in late byzantine period, we may suppose that three castles were in use on the island: the capital Kos, for whose fortifications we lack evidence, the castle at Palio Pyli, fortified settlement mentioned as “largely populated” in sources, and the castle at Pardobouno, referred to in a document of the year 1271, and yet unidentified. Based on this scarce evidence there can be no conclusions as to the defence state of the island or its settlement patterns.
The conquest of the island by the Order of St.John of Jerusalem (first attempt at 1306, final conquest at 1337) was a decisive factor for its fortifications. The Order saw to the building of the castle of Antimachia built between 1337 and 1346, and the reinforcement of the defences at Palio Pyli. The castle of Kefalos was constructed probably at the end of the 14th-beginning of the 15th cen., while the walls at Kastelli Kefalou are dated from the second half of the 15th cen., perhaps before 1480.
A crucial part at the defence of the island during hospitaller rule was played by large fortified settlements, near or within which a large part of the population lived. Besides, the administrative division of the island in districts was based on these castles, as noted in hospitaller documents. They were dispersed and covered the whole surface, built at strategic points both for the interior organisation of Kos, as well as for repulsing enemy raids.
The main fortress of the island is Nerantzia (the capital’s castle), seat of the knight-governor. However, Hospitallers didn’t hesitate to abandon it during the raid of 1457, in order for the population to be more effectively protected at the castles of Palio Pyli, Antimachia and Kefalos. It is also mentioned that during the same raid, the hospitaler castle of Peripatos was abandoned and burned down; parts of Peripatos were recently identified , though without assessing the dimensions of the whole. The movement and dispersion of the island’s population to the castles, so as to withstand the raid, may draw us to the thought that there was a central defence plan, for which there is no mention in the sources. A similar plan is known to have existed for the island of Rhodes. The small fort at Kastelli Kefalou, that was perhaps a look-out post or seat of a small garisson, could be part of this defence system, with the aim to survey the island’s north-east coasts.
For the hospitaller period, there are also references to other fortifications, whose place is not yet known: Bosio mentions the castles of Cognino and Entoemo in relation to the events of 1494, while Buondelmonti (1420) records the fortifications Petrai, Thermia, as well as a fort at the peak of mount Dikaios. Subsequently, an overall view of the island’s defence state during hospitaller rule, is not yet possible.
The conquest of Kos by the Ottomans in 1522 did not mean the distruction or desertion of its castles. The settlements continued to be inhabited (Palio Pyli until ca.1830, Antimachia until 1821) and architectural elements show that defence character was maintained. Modern features were also added, such as gunloops at Palio Pyli and Antimachia. It is noteworthy that the garrison left the castle of Antimachia only at 1871. However, the castle of Kefalos, based on surface ceramics, seemed to have been inhabited until the 17th cen., while Kastelli Kefalou was abandoned after 16th cen. The castle of Nerantzia remained the seat of the turkish governor of the island right down to the beginning of the 20th cen. Its walls, though, were progressively neglected and gradually lost their defence capacity