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The history of Assos Fortress goes back to 1584, when the people of Kefalonia requested a new fortress from the Venetian Senate. The small fortress of St George had proved insufficient for the island’s defences. The request fitted in with Venice’s defence policy in the East, and was accepted. An impregnable position was chosen for the new fortification: the rocky peninsula of Assos. The foundation stone was laid on 8 November 1593, its construction proceeded quickly, and it was completed in the early 17th century.
Its 2000 metres of walls follow the contours of the landscape, describing an irregular square with ramparts at five points. It has two gateways. The grander of the two, on the east side, was the main entrance, while the smaller second entrance is on the south side.
On the narrow isthmus that leads to the headland, a tower controlled the harbour and access to the fortress.
The interior was laid out so that inhabitants of neighbouring regions could stay there. However, the ambitious plans of the Venetians to build a city inside the fortress and to transfer the administration of the island there from the Castle of St George came to nothing. Assos remained a small settlement confined to the Borgo (the newer village outside the fortress) next to the harbour. Gradually, despite its size and commanding position, the fortress began to lose its strategic importance, particularly after Lefkada was captured by the Venetians in 1684.
Until the end of the period of Venetian rule in 1797 it remained the headquarters of the Venetian Commander, and under the Republican French (1797-1799) it became the capital of the canton of the same name.
Today, the vast fortification rises up, deserted and uninhabited, from a
landscape of unparalleled natural beauty.
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