Here was the medieval capital of the island until the 16th century. The ruins of the wall and houses are preserved in the Castle, while of its many churches (it is said that in its heyday there were as many as 100) only the churches of Keraleousa and Agia Triada remain - and these are not in good condition. The Castle is also known as the Castle of Oria and was associated with the well-known folk song, which states that "the Turks fought it for twelve years".
With the destruction of the Castle of Oria in 1570 by the Turks, the Frankish conquerors of the island moved their residences to Messaria where there was already a small settlement of local farmers.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou
