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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

Map of Scopello Scopello (Skopelos)        

Key dates:
1204: the Byzantine Empire is parcelled out among the leaders of the Fourth Crusade after they conquer Constantinople, but the small Aegean islands (including Scopello) soon fall directly or indirectly into the hands of Venice: Scopello was ruled by the Ghisi, a family of Venetian merchants.
1276: the island returns under the often nominal rule of the reconstituted Byzantine Empire.
1453: the Turks seize Constantinople: the inhabitants of Scopello ask for Venetian protection.
1538: Khayr al Din (Barbarossa - red beard), corsair and admiral of the Turkish fleet, seizes Scopello.

Views of Scopello
Views of Scopello

Today the town of Skopelos occupies an area much larger than in the XVth century when it was under Venetian rule; the old town, however, is still easily identifiable as it is located on a low hill which sharply falls towards the modern town (left picture above) or towards the sea (right picture above).

Views of the large
Views of the large "Pyrgo" (tower) of Scopello

At the top of the hill, on the site of the ancient acropolis, in the XIIIth century the Ghisi built a small fortress, not much more than a large tower.

A narrow street of Scopello and a view from the tower
A narrow and steep street of Scopello and a view from the tower

The Ghisi tower ensured control over the bay and it was protected by a maze of very narrow and steep streets, often interrupted by low arches.

Churches of Scopello
Churches of Scopello

The old town is relatively well preserved although some houses have been modernized without paying attention to their consistency with the overall architecture of the location. As often occurs in the Aegean islands, the number of churches is extremely high in part because while the rulers were Catholic, their subjects were Orthodox. The church of Aghii Apostoli (left picture) retains its original appearance with the stones not covered by plaster: it is in part decorated with reliefs and sections of columns taken from buildings of the ancient Greek acropolis.

Church on the rock and detail showing it was used as a mosque
Church on the "tower" (Panagia son Pirgo) and detail showing the small chapel next to it was used as a mosque

The rocks falling into the sea have the appearance of towers and a picturesque church is thus called the "Church on the tower", although there is no evidence of a tower. The small chapel next to the church (shown in the image used as a background for this page) retains a small fountain where the Turks washed their feet and the low relief decorating the door is another indication that during the Ottoman rule it was used as a mosque.

Alonissos


View from the sea and tower on the eastern side of the town
View from the sea and tower on the eastern side of the town

Alonissos is the modern name of an island next to Scopello: the size of the island is similar to that of Scopello, but only its southern part is populated: in the past it was called Khiliodromia; while old maps are generally relatively accurate in positioning Scopello and nearby Schiatto, Alonissos is often wrongly located or even ignored.
The small village at its southern tip enjoys excellent views in almost all directions. It is visible from the town of Scopello and its inhabitants signalled the arrival of corsairs or other enemies by lighting fires.

Views from the town westwards and eastwards
Views from the town westwards (towards Scopello) and eastwards

Introductory page on the Venetian Fortresses

Map of the fortresses Corfu Butrinto Dodoni Ioanina Parga Paxi Preveza Nikopolis Vonizza Santamaura/Lefkada Asso Itaca Patrasso, Castel di Rumelia, Castel di Morea Lepanto Cefalonia Zante Navarino Calamata Castel Tornese and Glarenza Modon Corone Mistrà Malvasia Castelrosso Schiatto Scopello Alonisso Negroponte Oreo Corinto Egina Atene Hadrian's Athens Napoli di Romania/Nafplio Argo Cerigo/Kythira Tinos Micono Milo Nasso Candia/Creta Fortresses of Maina Lemno Stampalia Scio Schiro Andro Spezzia Imbro Tenedo Patmo Lero Calimno Metelino Metimno Cunda Candarli Fochies Cismes Argentiera Sifno Serifo Paris Antiparis Siro Rhodes Coo Castel S. Pietro Lindos Nissiros Symi Castelrosso (Kastelorizo) The Asklepeion of Kos Santorino Folegandros Afrodisias Ephesus Kale Sultanieh Kilitbahir Pergamum Sardis Seddulbahir Roman Smyrna Delphi Priene Miletus Didyma Iasos Euromos Milas default - Corfù
Clickable map: hover on the dots

On the Ionian Islands:     Corfù (Kerkyra)     Paxo (Paxi)     Santa Maura (Lefkadas)     Cefalonia (Kephallonia)     Asso (Assos)     Itaca (Ithaki)     Zante (Zachintos)     Cerigo (Kythera)
On the mainland: Butrinto (Butrint)     Parga     Preveza and Azio (Aktion)     Vonizza (Vonitsa)     Lepanto (Nafpaktos)     Atene (Athens)
On Morea:     Castel di Morea (Rio), Castel di Rumelia (Antirio) and Patrasso (Patra)     Castel Tornese (Hlemoutsi) and Glarenza     Navarino (Pilo) and Calamata     Modon (Methoni)     Corone (Koroni)     Braccio di Maina, Zarnata, Passavà and Chielefà     Mistrà     Corinto (Korinthos)     Argo (Argos)     Napoli di Romania (Nafplio)     Malvasia (Monemvassia)
On the Aegean Sea:     Negroponte (Chalki)     Castelrosso (Karistos)     Oreo     Lemno (Limnos)     Schiatto (Skiathos)     Scopello (Skopelos)     Alonisso     Schiro (Skyros)     Andro (Andros)     Tino (Tinos)     Micono (Mykonos)     Siro (Syros)     Egina (Aegina)     Spezzia (Spetse)     Paris (Paros)     Antiparis (Andiparos)     Nasso (Naxos)     Serifo (Serifos)     Sifno (Syphnos)     Milo (Milos)     Argentiera (Kimolos)     Santorino (Thira)     Folegandro (Folegandros)     Stampalia (Astipalea)     Candia (Kriti)
Genoese Bases:     Metelino (Mytilini)     Metimno (Molyvos)     Cunda (Alibey)     Fochies (Foca)     Candarli     Cismes (Cesme)     Scio (Chios)
Fortresses of the Knights of Rhodes:     Lero (Leros)     Calimno (Kalimnos)     Coo (Kos)     Castel S. Pietro (Bodrum)     Symi     Nissiros     Rhodes (Rodos)     Lindos     Castelrosso (Kastelorizo)     Other fortresses
Ottoman fortresses:     Imbro (Gokceada)     Tenedo (Bozcaada)     Seddulbahir     Kale Sultanieh (Canakkale)     Cilitbahir
Other locations shown in the map:     Patmos     Dodoni (Dodona)     Nikopolis     Hadrian's Athens     Pergamum     Roman Smyrna     Sardis (Sart)     Ephesus     Afrodisia     Delphi     Ioanina    Kos    Priene    Miletus    Didyma    Iasos    Euromos    Milas

You may refresh your knowledge of the history of Venice in the Levant by reading an abstract from the History of Venice by Thomas Salmon, published in 1754. The Italian text is accompanied by an English summary.