Leros Castle was built by the Knights of Saint John on the Site of a Dorian Temple for Diana
Sailing through the Dodecanese islands is not only a beautiful experience, it is also quite fun for hikers. Over every harbor towers a medieval fortress – always worth climbing for the view. It takes never more than 30 minutes. When hiking up you may wonder why these castles were built. The few fishing boats in the harbor hardly make it worth the expense. There must have been something bigger going on.
The 12 Castles of the Knights of Saint John I could identify on the Dodecanese Islands
The coats of arms over the castle’s gates tell us the story. They all date back to the 14th and 15thcentury when the Knights of Saint John ruled the Dodecanese. The Knights had been expulsed from the Holy Land after losing Acre in 1291, spent a few years as “guests” on the island of Cyprus and then hatched a plan to “steal” Rhodes from the Byzantine Emperor. As per their own charter, their mission was to conquer the Holy Land. But the Pope made an exception and agreed to the little detour. He disliked the Orthodox Church more than the Muslims. What better than converting them to proper Catholicism.
Coat of Arms of Grand Master Milly, Rhodes (top left) and Bodrum (bottom left) and of Grand Master Del Carretto in Kos (right)
In the summer of 1306, the Knights of Saint John, this monastic order with eight different languages (sections), set out on their flotilla to Rhodes. The invasion was successful. They quickly captured the island but the City of Rhodes held out. Clearly, the knights were not welcome. A lengthy siege follow. Eventually, the Rhodesians surrendered after four years. In the capitulation document the Knights had to concede that Rhodesians could keep their Greek-Orthodox rites. So much for the Pope’s conversion dreams.
The Knight Hospitallers' Fortress on the Greek Island of Kos was built after 1315
Having no foothold in the Holy Land any longer but still hell-bent on fighting Muslims, the Knights of Saint John engaged in maritime warfare. They targeted any Muslim ship or any ship that did business with Muslims – as per the Pope’s instructions. We call it piracy today. It was lucrative though. Rhodes became a famous place for looted goods, slaves and unruly, young nobles looking for quick riches.
Galleys of the Knight Hospitallers (of Saint John) at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571
The knights' piracy was so successful, that the Mamluk – the rulers of Egypt & the Levant – handed the shipping of Asian goods exclusively to the merchants of Venice and Genoa. These two Italian cities had secured papal bulls allowing them to trade with Muslims. The European nobles and cardinals may have hated Islam, but their lust for silk, spices, pearls and precious stones was stronger than their religious believes.
The Knights Fortress of Archangelos on Rhodes' eastern Coast built after 1453
Knowing the vagaries of the wind system in the southern Aegean, with frequent and violent Meltemis in the midst of summer, the Knights secured ports not only in Rhodes but on all the surrounding islands. They effectively created the term Dodecanese. Before the arrival of the Hospitallers, these islands never formed a political entity. Of course, these ports had to be protected – et voilà, castles went up - built with forced labour from the local Greeks. Quite often they were built on or near sites where Dorians erected castles and temples 2’000 years earlier. So far, I discovered twelve Hospitaller castles but there may be more. In any case, too many to visit all of them in summer 2025.
View from the Acropolis of Symi where the Knights built thier Fort (partially preserved)
The castles allowed less than 1’000 knights to control the Dodecanese for more than 200 years. The forts were a very effective power lever. But after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the Hospitallers' situation became precarious. The powerful Ottoman Empire became an enemy too strong to resist. In 1480, Sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Istanbul, sent 160 ships with an army of 70’000 to capture Rhodes. The attack collapsed on the strong walls of the City of Rhodes. 42 years later, in 1522, Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, personally lead 400 ships and 180’000 men to Rhodes. After six months of bloody fighting, the Knights surrendered on the 22 December, two days before Christmas. There was no gunpowder and no food left. In January 1523, the Knights handed over the keys to all 12 fortresses and sailed to Sicily – to fight another day.
Kastellorizo was the Knight's most eastern Posession - with their Castle of Course
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