Frankish Castle Paroikia

The splendid Frankish Castle is one of the most enduring monuments on the island of Paros. It was built in the 1200s by the Venetian Sanoudos. Scholars believe that the castle was built from the vestiges of an assortment of ancient sanctuaries that were scattered in and around the island of Paros. The Frankish Castle stands out for its splendid architecture. Needless to say, a visit to Paros is incomplete without a visit to this magnificent castle which stands as mute testimony to the rich virile past of Paros.

The castle is conspicuous by its intricate stonework and the hundred-footer Hekatompedon that is fabricated into its walls. The elongated tower integrates all the elements of a 4th-century globular edifice, built during the Frankish era. Part of the circular edifice is used as apse of the castle's in-house chapel. The basis of an ancient temple which is believed to date back all the way to 530 BC. Along with the temple ruins, there are also scattered remnants of ancient residences.