Faneromeni Castle Andros

The Faneromeni Castle also called the Old Castle (in Greek Tis Grias to Kastro), is located near Ormos Korthi village e Gialos in the Korthi bay in the southeast part of Andros about six hundred meters above sea level.

Considered the largest medieval city on the island and also with traces of the Roman era, it was built on the ruins by the Venetians to protect the population from attack by pirates and conquerors who at the time plowed the waters of the Aegean Sea in search of achievements.

An impregnable fortress either because of the sturdy walls up to two meters thick that surrounded it today in some well-preserved portions, or because of the morphology of the territory with high rocks that rise vertically on all sides, naturally intensifying its defense. The view of the Aegean sea is total and therefore perfect for spotting anyone approaching the island.

It is called by various names as well as Faneromeni Castle, type Pano Kastro (in Greek means Castle at the top or top), Castle of Kochylos with the same name of the village at the foot of the fortress, or Castle of Gria (which in Greek means old).

The latter name derives from the famous legend which tells that when the Turks tried to conquer the castle by besieging it in vain, they sent an old woman to ask for help for her pregnant daughter and clearly seen the generosity of the Greek people they opened the doors to let her in. thus allowing the Ottomans to storm the bulwark. When the elderly woman realized the great mistake made by shame she climbed 'over a rock and committed suicide'. The beautiful beach in the bay below is in fact called Tis Grias to Kastro and right there is the rock in the middle of the sea where the old woman took her own life and where according to legend, the cliff that according to the inhabitants of Andros has always appeared. viewed from a certain angle it looks like the profile of a woman with a scarf on her head.

Inside there are ruins of houses, aqueducts and some underground tunnels that connected the fortress to the coast of Melissa. Near the entrance two hundred meters from the door on the left side is a cave with very ancient stalactites.The Temple of Faneromeni initially built by the Franks and then converted into an Orthodox church on August 15th is a destination for the celebrations in honor of the Virgin Mary with folkloric and traditional festivals that are impossible to miss if during your holidays in Greece you are on the island of Andros .

The dawn of the Faneromeni Castle ends around the seventeenth century when the pirate period ended and the need to protect oneself disappeared.

You can get there on foot in fact it is one of the most popular destinations for trekking lovers. From Kochylou the village at the foot with a spectacular view of the Aegean Sea starts a path that reaches the fortress via a staircase where the view is truly unique and unforgettable.

A must and definitely to add to the list of things to do in Andros.