Rhodes - Discover the Unknown Rhodes

C H A P T E R 4
Charaki amid churches and castle
The fortress of Feraklos
rises on the site of the
acropolis of ancient
Loryma, but no
trace remains of the
ancient city
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Our journey continues along the coast where,
from far off, the Fortress of Feraklos can be seen
above the little harbour of Charaki, with its
turreted walls girding the entire hilltop. In
ancient times the city of Loryma stood here,
while the first castle was erected in the
Byzantine period and conquered by the Knights
of Rhodes as early as 1306, immediately upon
their arrival on the island. With the castle they
took possession of the entire feud men,
animals and lands creating the so-called
protaria, a legal right that sanctioned the total
and sole ownership and which permitted the
exercise of both civil and religious powers.
The cellars of the Castle of Feraklos
were used as a prison for those knights who
had erred or disobeyed the rules of the Order.
Looking at the strong external walls punctuated
with tall bastions, one understands why
Feraklos was famed as an impregnable
stronghold, so much so that it resisted the
attacks of the Ottomans right up until the end
of 1522 when the rest of the island had already
surrendered.