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Brief History of Assos Village

Situated on the north west coast of the island, the fortress is the larger of the two castles on Kefalonia, and one of the largest in Greece.

In 1584, a petition was submitted by the nobles of Kefalonia to the Venetian Senate for the foundation of a new fortress, as the Castle of Saint George could not defend the whole island against the Turkish threat and the pirate raids. Building started in 1593 under the supervision of Ambrosius Cornelius. Its 2000 metres of walls follow the contours of the terrain and form an irregular rectangle of 44,000 sq. meters, reinforced at five points by bastions, virtually running around the naturally impregnable peninsula. Parts of the walls and an arched entrance gate are the main preserved sections.

Until 1956, the Castle of Assos was used as a place for political prisoners, who lived there and cultivated vineyards and cereal. The latest inhabitants lived within the castle walls up until the late sixties. They were known as the Kastrini people and were groups of large families who lived from cultivating olives and grapes. Nowadays, the Castle is the venue for various cultural and artistic events that take place every summer.