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Trip ideas  /  3 sunset-chasing days in Santorini  /  Skaros Rock
Skaros Rock, Santorini, South Aegean
Historic site · Santorini, South Aegean

Skaros Rock

A fortress completed in 1207.Over 200 homes by 1336.Eruptions from 1650.A town that moved away.

Photo: Christopher Down, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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The rock

Skaros Rock is a promontory made by a volcano and shaped by earthquakes

Skaros Rock is a large rock promontory on Santorini. It was created through the volcanic activity of the nearby caldera, and has since been shaped by erosion and earthquakes. In nautical terms it is called Cape Skaros.

La Roka

The fortress La Roka was completed in 1207

The site was fortified in the early 13th century, when the Byzantine Empire employed the Venetian architect Giacomo Barozzi to build a fortress. It was known as La Roka and completed in 1207. Barozzi was then given control of Santorini by Marco I Sanudo.

The capital

By 1336 Skaros had over 200 homes and was the Venetian capital

By the time of the Venetian Republic's takeover of Santorini in 1336, the settlement consisted of over 200 homes and had several hundred inhabitants. As the largest settlement on the island, it became the de facto capital of Venetian Santorini.

200homes in the settlement by 1336

Raiders

The cliff position protected the town from raiders until 1566

In the mid 16th century Santorini was the target of numerous Ottoman raids. The fortifications of Skaros and its position high on the cliffs protected the town. In 1566 the Ottoman admiral Piali Pasha arrived with a large fleet, and all the settlements accepted annexation.

Moving away

Eruptions after 1650 sent the residents to Fira and Imerovigli

When the volcano erupted in 1650, strong earthquakes collapsed part of the town into the sea. The eruptions of 1701 to 1711 caused most of the residents to move to Fira or Imerovigli. By the early 19th century the fortress was only a few weathered ruins.

Day 1, afternoon

It comes after Caldera path, Fira to Imerovigli. Then Imerovigli.

More stories from this trip idea

The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Skaros, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.

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