Upload your photos for Chrisocheria Castle and share them with us! Press here.
Prefecture: Dodecanese
Address:
Kalimnos 
Telephone:
Chrisocheria Castle
Pera Castle or Castle of Chrisocheria
Midway between Chora and Pothia you will find the Pera Castle or Castle of Chrisocheria, which is one of the most famous sights in the island. Situated at a strategic point, on the top of a natural hill, this castle helped Kalymnians to easily monitor Chora and Pothia.
The castle was constructed during the Knights' dominion. In fact, the residents were forced to build a new castle which would be used as a residence for the governor of Kalymnos, Kos, Leros and Nisyros islands, in order to protect themselves from the increasing pirate raids.
Inside the castle, its few buildings are maintened in good condition: a mineral and built food store, and two churches, the newest one of St. George and the oldest one of Virgin Mary.
The castle was finally abandoned in the late 15th century. Due to its small size, the Kalymnians were not fully protected against the incessant attacks of the Turks. Moreover, the Great Castle in Chora, which was delivered in 1495, covered these needs rendering thus useless the Castle of Chrisocheria.
Near the castle, you can also see the three stonebuilt windmills, which are the "trademark" of Kalymnos. As they are built on a hill, the windmills are visible from the port of Pothia.
Places near Chrisocheria Castle
Pothia is the capital and also the port of Kalymnos. The construction of Pothia began in early 1850, when pirate raids started to occur less and less often. As a result, the people who lived by then in the Castle of Chora, seeking for protection against the pirates, began progressively to build their homes out of the Castle.
The houses are built in amphitheatrical formation, facing the sea, and are separated from each other by narrow alleys. As you walk in them, you can witness the Italian influence and also the clearly visible details of neoclassical architecture on the traditional buildings. Most traditional houses are encountered in the districts Ypapandi, Hevangelistria, Agios Theologos and Patithries.
Today, Pothia is the administrative and commercial center of the island, where you will find all the public services such as the police, the post office, the port authority, the hospital etc. There are also many facilities for visitors, such as taverns, restaurants, cafes, bakeries and hotels.
In Pothia, you can visit the Archaeological Museum of Kalymnos, which presents the history of the island and hosts various treasures that have been occassionally retrieved from the bottom of the sea, and the Nautical Museum, which presents everything related to the great Kalymnian maritime activity and the sponge catching, with exhibits from ancient shipwrecks ships.
Another interesting venue in Pothia is the Vouvalis' family Mansion, where you will get a taste of the Kalymnian urban architecture.
In Pothia's waterfront, it is placed the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Over there, it is worth seeing the magnificent marble temple, which was crafted by the great Greek sculptor Giannoulis Chalepas. Many churches in Pothia and Kalymnos in general, are adorned with works of great Kalymnianpainters such as S. Magglis, M. Alahouzos, G. Economou, T. Kourounis, N. Maggos, T. Billiris, E. Choulis. and S. Pizanias.
Several beaches are found close to Pothia, one of them being Therma, an area of hot springs that have healing properties.
Login with
Facebook