Peripatos

On the eastern edge of Pyli, on the island of Kos, stand the rather poor ruins of Peripatos, a medieval castle that was never especially formidable. It may have been little more than a fortified compound, and the Knights Hospitaller described it as a fortified settlement. For a time it formed part of a monastic complex, appearing in the testament of Saint Christodoulos (1093) and in later Patmos monastery documents as a metochi of the Panagia of Kastriani. The Knights’ archives mention it in 1449, 1451 and 1457, the last recording that the Turks captured the deserted castle and burned it. Cristoforo Buondelmonti confirmed its existence in 1420. Some suggest the name points to a Byzantine parapet, but it is more likely a 14th-century Hospitaller creation on older monastic land. The buildings show later modifications and remained in use for centuries; locals say the roof collapsed in the 1950s, ending its service as a stable. Much was demolished or covered when New Pyli was built after 1830, following the plague that emptied Old Pyli.