Medieval Castle of Agios Efstratios

At the top of the hill near the harbor of Agios Efstratios are the remains of a small medieval castle. A section of its low curtain wall can be seen, reinforced with towers of rectangular and square plan, two of which guarded the south gate. From the preserved foundations it appears the towers were built of local stones in isodomic masonry. The architectural features point to Late Byzantine times, while local tradition, which calls it “Genoese,” links it to the house of the Gattilusio (1355–1462). Whatever its exact construction period, the castle played a key role in the inhabitants’ defense and in controlling maritime trade in the northeastern Aegean.