Nikos Pavlidis shares his experiences from the summer of August 2021 in Kythira in a wonderful video on his YouTube channel. Enjoy!
What the creator says about this video.
Parts:
Kapsali
We were impressed by the magnificent view of the castle's "Chytra" and Chora.
Copper Beach
A pebble beach with crystal-clear waters!
Melidoni Beach
A beach with fine sand and crystal-clear waters, overlooking Chytra.
Castle
The most iconic monument on the island is the castle of Chora! The castle, or “Fortezza,” was built around the 13th century, when the Venetians ruled Kythira. Known as the “Eye of Crete” due to its strategic location—overlooking the movement of ships across three seas at once— the Ionian, Aegean, and Cretan Seas—was built in various phases throughout the island’s history, but the largest and most significant section, including the façade, was constructed in 1503 by the Venetians, who repaired and rebuilt it. At the castle’s entrance, we see the tunnel—or “fossa”! On this front wall stood the Lion of St. Mark, the emblem of the Venetians, which was destroyed along with the Bible of the Nobles and the coats of arms in 1797 by the French.
After entering the castle, on the left we see the prisons, and a little further up on the right, on the southwest side, is the enormous cistern from the Venetian period, with domes and arches. In the center of the castle, you can make out some two-story dwellings—half-ruined, of course— because 200 years ago the castle had 200 residents, and the last one left during the Occupation, at which point the occupiers requisitioned whatever buildings they needed and settled in.
Walking another 30 meters, we see the gunpowder magazine, whose walls are more than one meter thick. Right next to it is the Church of the Pantocrator, which is covered with old frescoes. Directly in front of the church stands the castle’s old administrative building, which today houses the Historical Archive of Kythira. Walking beneath the command post through a large moat, we emerge into the command post square. There we see a large 16th-century church that was originally a Catholic church, “Panagia ton Latinon.”.
Later, in 1806, it was consecrated as an Orthodox church dedicated to Myrtidiotissa. Next to it is the ‘Panagia Orfani“ church, which housed the icon and relics of the Agkarathos Monastery in Heraklion for 300 years after Crete fell into Turkish hands. The icon was kept in the church of Myrtidiotissa during periods of intense pirate raids. In 1842, the icon was returned to the pilgrimage site in Myrtidia, and a copy dating from 1844 remained at the castle.
Outside the fortress, there is a second castle wall to the north that encloses the Closed Burg, which contains many churches and houses. The castle has many cannons dating from the Venetian, Russo-Turkish, and British periods.
Two miracles associated with Myrtidiotissa are connected to the fortress and are depicted at the bottom of the icon. One concerns the ship that transported the precious metal from Crete for the icon’s vestments and was threatened by pirates. The second relates to the lightning bolt that struck the castle in 1829. It passed in front of the icon and the adjacent gunpowder magazine without causing any damage.
The following conquerors successively occupied the castle:
Venetians, 13th century – 1797
The French, 1797–1798
Russian-Turkish Wars, 1798–1800
The State of the Ionian Islands, 1800–1808
French 1808–1809
English 1809–1864
Germans – Italians 1941–1944
Source: KYTHERA.GR
Country of Kythira
Holy Monastery of Myrtidia – Our Lady of Myrtidia
The Holy Monastery of Myrtidia on Kythira is the most important place of worship on the island. The monastery’s church houses the icon of the Virgin Mary of Myrtidia, which, according to tradition, is miraculous.
Equipment:
GoPro Hero 7 Black
Sony ZV-1
DJI Mavic Pro 2
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max
Samsung S21 Ultra
DJI Osmo Pocket 2
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