Old Fortress
The Old Fortress is a large stone structure perched on a rocky promontory jutting into the sea, overlooking the town. Inside are several historic buildings including a prison, a small church styled like an ancient Greek temple, two barracks, a former hospital now used as a music school, plus archives and exhibition spaces documenting centuries of local history.
The fortress was founded by the Venetians in the 16th century and later modified by the English, who enlarged prison cells and built barracks. Built on the oldest fortified site on the island and refined over roughly 15 centuries, it displays Byzantine elements and Venetian reinforcements designed against pirates and invaders.
The fortress derives its name from being built on the oldest fortified site on the island. Today it remains central to local life, hosting music concerts and cultural events in its open spaces, allowing visitors to experience how history and community activities blend within these ancient walls.
Access is via a bridge from the city center that once served as a drawbridge crossing a dry moat separating the fortress from town. Children and pets have restrictions, with only service dogs allowed for the blind, and seasonal opening hours vary from longer evening visits in warmer months to shorter winter schedules.
Visitors can explore a network of secret passages and hidden pathways winding through the thick walls, offering unexpected angles and views of the fortress structure. These concealed routes reveal how original inhabitants used the terrain to maintain strategic advantages and create multiple escape routes.
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