Frangokastello

Frangokastello, on Crete's south coast facing the Libyan Sea, is a Venetian coastal fortress with a name born of local contempt. Built between 1371 and 1374 as a garrison to police the rebellious Sfakia region and deter pirates, the Venetians originally called it the Castle of St. Nikitas, after a nearby church. The Cretans, however, dubbed it the Castle of the Franks, a slur for Catholic foreigners, and the name stuck. Local legend holds that the Sfakians, led by six Patsos brothers, demolished each day's work by night until the brothers were betrayed and hanged. The castle is a simple rectangle with corner towers and a weathered Venetian coat of arms above the gate; the interior buildings and battlements date from the Ottoman period. Its fame rests on the battle of 17 May 1828, when Hatzimichalis Dalianis and several hundred Greeks were massacred after a seven-day siege. Each May or June, at dawn, the Drosoulites, or dew-men, are said to appear: shadowy armed figures marching from the monastery of Agios Charalambos toward the fort. Witnesses describe them lasting about ten minutes, visible from a kilometre away when the air is moist and the sea calm. A Turkish patrol fled from them in 1890, and German soldiers reportedly fired on the visions during the Second World War. Scientists have suggested a North African mirage, but no explanation has settled the matter.

Heritage data from Wikidata, compiled and verified in the Atika atlas.