The Old Town by Christianne
A few words about the Old Town:The Street of the Knights was the main street in the Collachium.
During the early years of the Turkish occupation the buildings of the street of the Knights, were used as barracks. The Italian archaeologists restored the former shape of the street.
The street is 200m long and 6m wide and leads to the Palace of the Grand Masters.
At the highest point of the Castle, opposite the church of Saint John, is situated the Palace of the Knights which used to be the center of administration and the Knights Acropolis. Its dimensions were 80x75 and had defensive fortifications.
Where the palace (Castello) stands, stood the Acropolis of the Romans and the Byzantines.
During the Turkish occupation, it was used like prison.
The palace was completely destroyed during the explosion at the church of St. John in 1865. The Italians rebuilt it on the ruins as faithfully as possible, and completed it in 1940. The visitor can see its floors decorated with marvelous mosaics of the Hellenistic and Roman period.
More information, are coming soon.
