Rio Castle

Rio, Greece

The Rio Castle in opposition to its counterpart, the Castle of Rumelia at Antirrio, is located at the north tip of the Rio peninsula in Achaea, Greece, at the entrance of the Corinthian Gulf. The Rio-Antirio Bridge is located next to it, and the local ferry docks lie on either side. Today it is used for cultural purposes, especially concerts and is a tourist attraction.

The castle was built by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid II in 1499 above the ruins of an ancient temple of Poseidon, within three months. Along with its twin, the Antirrio Castle, they were intended to protect the entrance to the Corinthian Gulf, and were nicknamed the 'Little Dardanelles'. The castle is located on the sea shore, with its northern side protected by the sea and the southern by a broad moat, filled with sea water, and two outer bastions (ravelins), linked to the main fort by stone bridges. It has two gates, the central one, facing landwards, and the sea gate.

In 1533, it was briefly captured by the Genoese under Andrea Doria, but the Ottomans recaptured it later in the year. In 1687, during the Morean War, it was taken by the Venetians under Francesco Morosini. The Venetians rebuilt the castle, restoring and strengthening it by the addition of towers, giving it its final shape. The Venetians also added the small chapel of the Life-giving Spring. The Ottomans retook it in 1715, and remained until they surrendered it to French General Nicolas Joseph Maison. Between 1831 and 1912, the castle was used as a military and then civilian prison, whose inmates were often used by the municipality of Patras for cleaning the streets of Rio.

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Address

Posidonos 3, Rio, Greece
See all sites in Rio

Details

Founded: 1499
Category: Castles and fortifications in Greece

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

joe moa (14 months ago)
This castle is awesome. I came on a colder day and had it all to myself. Entry was cheap.
Nigel Dack (2 years ago)
Great place to visit if you like old ruined forts or castles.
Fran Go (2 years ago)
Beautiful Ottoman and Venetian fort. They’ve been gradually recovering the walls but it still needs a little love. Great views of the bridge.
Y.H. (2 years ago)
Rio Castle (, known also as the Castle of Moria, is a very well preserved fortress, located on the south-east side of Rio–Antirrio Bridge. It was built by Sultan Vayazit II in 1499 on the ruins of the ancient temple of Poseidon and held by the Ottomans for a period of few hundreds of years and was used most of the time as a prison. If you have time, it is a nice place to visit and to enjoy the beauty of the fortress as well as the remarkable view of the Rio–Antirrio Bridge.
Anna (7 years ago)
We were just driving around looking for a vantage point to view the bridge when we stumbled across this castle. Just follow the signs to the ferry and park right outside the castle. For just 2 euros you can enter a huge site with well preserved ancient buildings from which one has stunning views of the bridge. An exciting blend of old and new architecture. Fabulous.
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