Assos Castle
| Assos Castle | |
|---|---|
Κάστρο της Άσσου | |
| Assos, Cephalonia, Greece | |
View of the Assos Castle | |
| Site information | |
| Type | citadel |
| Owner | Hellenic Ministry of Culture |
| Controlled by |
|
| Open to the public | Yes |
| Condition | Ruin |
| Location | |
| 1690 plan of Assos castle, by Jacob Peeters | |
| Coordinates | 38°38′30″N 20°28′53.0″E / 38.64167°N 20.481389°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1593 |
| Built by | Republic of Venice |
| Architect | Marino Gentillini |
| Materials | Limestone |
The Assos Castle (Greek: Κάστρο της Άσσου, romanized: Kastro tis Assou) is a Venetian fortification on Cephalonia island in western Greece.
Together with St George's Castle, the castle of Assos is a fine example of military architecture of the island of Cephalonia—British general Charles James Napier described it as 'stronger than Gibraltar'—and one of its main tourist attractions. It overlooks the bay of Agia Kyriaki, north of Paliki, and could act as a base from which to defend the island, to protect against pirates as well as a naval invasion. The castle stands on the top of a 170m high rocky hill, which encompasses the entire peninsula of Assos. The castle is protected by a wall of 2000 meters length, and covers an area of 44,000 sq. meters.