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Agios Georgios Castle

Kefalonia, Greece

Agios Georgios Castle

One of the most famous and important sights of the island and the Livatos area, is the castle of Agios Georgios. This castle was the capital of Kefalonia before it became Argostoli in 1757. In its heyday, the fortress was an entire city, inside the stone walls there were residences, public buildings, warehouses for food and weapons, hospitals, prisons, water cisterns and everything necessary for the existence of a city. The original fortress was built by the Byzantines in the 12th century, on the site of the destroyed Moni Andrea monastery. However, for most of its existence it was under the rule of the Venetians, who made significant changes to its appearance. From the most surviving buildings, the church was restored as a museum and frescoes and icons were collected there. The restored church also houses one of the holiest relics of the monastery. No excavations have been carried out to date, except for maintenance, cleaning and restoration of damaged parts. There are rumors about the existence of a tunnel connecting the castle with the town of Argostoli, but no trace of it has been found and proved.