Ruins of a medieval construction next to the chapel of Agios Ioannis, east of the village Paradisi.

History

The old name of the village Paradeisi was Villanova. According to local websites (and Wikipedia) the name derives from the Grand master of the Order of the Knights of St. John Hélion de Villeneuve (aka, in Latin, Helione de Villanova) who supposedly built a castle there.

Hélion de Villeneuve was the Grand Master in the period 1319-1346, but he came to Rhodes after 1332. He succeeded Foulques de Villaret who had led the knights to Rhodes.

De Villneuve might have been the builder of the castle in Villanova, indeed. The problem is that the name Villanova is not mentioned by historical sources. It appears for the first time during the Italian occupation (1912-1947), while Villanova is a common name for Italian villages. Another unverifiable issue is if the remains really belong to a medieval castle.

In spite of these uncertainties, we incline to believe that these are really the ruins of an Ioannite castle that perhaps was first built in the de Villeneuve’s period in the first half of the 14th century. (In relation to these considerations, see also the comment by Dr. Simon Phillips in the Greek page of the castle)

Sources