Castle of Zakynthos

The Venetian Fortress of Zakynthos is located in the place where, according to written evidence, the walls of the Ancient Acropolis (Psofida) used to stand. The repeated large earthquakes that hit the island also destroyed the fortifications and as a result they were often rebuilt.

The construction of the walls and fortifications of the Fortress, which have survived, was completed in 1646, when the proveditor general da mar was Io Bapt. Grimani, by Venetian engineers with local craftsmen, with great care and durable materials. Then the main cobbled road was built, which reached the seafront, the famous Strada Giustiniana, Sarzada, as established in recent years. An important intervention for the maintenance and repair of the walls, but also of the buildings of the Fortress, with parallel care for the water supply and drainage system, was carried out by the English in 1812, when they were sovereign on the island.

The visible monuments uncovered during the latest excavations date from the Byzantine era to the period of the Anglo-occupation.