Description: The street of the knights is said to be one of the most photographed street in Old Rhodes Town, and it really isn’t that hard to believe. It runs from the front of the Palace of the Grand Masters right down to the city wall and leads through to the water’s edge.
The building of this medieval street started in the 14th Century many of the dwellings being gothically styled and they were carefully restored in the last century. Effectively this street was used exclusively to accommodate the knights when they visited the island – hospitality suites par excellence. They are known as the tongues because basically each Auberge catered for a country or a “linguas” so knights of the same nation could all gather together and discuss common matters, enjoying the Rhodian hospitality without struggling with a new language. Of course this would be more critical if they were having to resolve mighty matters when an offensive or defensive was required.
As we walked this architecturally magnificent street we had to give way for a small two-stroke vehicle as it roared its way up the hill. It might have been making a lot of noise but its progress was slow and laboured and we, alongside other tourists stood back waiting for the engine to pack up and for the vehicle to roll back down the hill. Needless to say it successfully made the journey, paused precariously at the top of the hill before panting its way towards the city wall.
There are some fascinating doorways, window surrounds on the facades of the properties down the street and of course the walkway, at the top of the street, linking the two sides together makes for a spectacular image. This corridor linked the inn of Spain and Inn of Provence together and looking up towards it we tried to imagine the organised chaos that would take place when all the Knights vacated the inns and gathered together before an attack. What a cacophony as the different “tongues” tried to communicate!
Check out the symbols above the doors – coats of arms of the various countries, Italy, France, Turkey to name but a few. This street is just steeped in history and although it will always be crammed with tourists there is always the possibility to loose yourself in the architecture, the views of pretty courtyards, and detour down the many side alleyways.
Looking back up the street from the lowest point will give you the most spectacular view, but we had to take our place with the other tourists jockeying for the best view for that “Kodak Moment”. We were pleased to have walked down the street I reckon the uphill drag would have drained our physical strength in the heat of the Rhodian sun.
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