Remains from a fortification of a relatively large castle, which enclosed also a settlement, on a hill west of the villages Plakados and Palaiokipos, west of the bay of Gera in Lesbos island..

History

The fortification is medieval but of undetermined chronology, presenting similarities with other undated and ruined castles in the interior of Lesbos, such as Agiasos, the castle of Stypsi etc.
These fortifications, for which there are no reports from historical sources, seem to have been originally built in the mid-Byzantine period, probably in the Dark Ages (between the 7th and 9th centuries), when Saracens and other pirates began to plunder the Aegean. These castles continued to be used at least until the Genoese period of the Gatelouzι (1355-1462), since in some of them, such as Agiasos, the Genoese additions are obvious.

This castle was not in use, most probablym during the Turkokratria, since the Ottomans would not allow Christian populations to inhabit remote and fortified places.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The castle occupies an area of ​​approximately 28,500,000 sq.m. within a perimeter of 740 meters. Its layout is an irregular hexagon with a maximum length of 300 meters (on the NW-SE axis). The perimeter is not fortified along its entire length because some sides, namely the northern and the eastern, have sufficient natural protection from the steep cliffs.

The fortified side is mainly the western one (which breaks in NW and SW) defending a smooth slope with olive trees. The fortification of this side is strong, with thick walls and towers.

On this side, in the NW section, there is a large semicircular tower, 5 meters high, with a double staircase inside. Near it, a little further north, a smaller triangular tower survives and next to it another semicircular tower. The wall stops as it approaches the steep north side. Part of it may have been damaged or landslide at this point.

A little further south from the big 5m tower there is the opening of the gate of the fort, with a threshold and traces of the demolished tower that protected the gate.

Then further down to the SE, the wall continues protecting a smooth, treeless, rocky slope. In this section, which stops on the steep south side, it is reinforced with 5 bastions (one square, three triangular and in the SW corner a semicircular one.)

The wall is 2.60 m thick and 2.30 m high in the southern part.

Inside the castle, just after the gate, there is a large underground (now open) vaulted cistern, while building foundations can be seen on the east, steep side, as well as abundant pottery, bricks and tiles from buildings.

Sources