The castle commands an imposing view in all directions: south to the coast at Kiotari, north to the mountains, and on either side, the valleys from which any attacker would have to march through. It clings to a pinnacle of rock, sheer on all sides and similar in most respects to the castle at Monolithos (please see "A Day’s Drive…" journal), although not perched as high and without such dramatic panoramic views.

This is one of several knights’ castles on the island and is probably the most remote. Reasons for this are probably due to the fact that Kiotari was the original settlement on the coast, 5 miles away. Kiotari was constantly under threat from seafaring attack, and after one such sortie by Byzantine raiders, the entire village moved inland and to the perceived safety at Asklipeio.

The climb from the car park to the castle entrance is steep, over roughly hewn stone steps that have weathered away over the centuries, some almost at crumbling point. The castle is not maintained as such by the tourist authorities, and so is rather overgrown, with thistles and weeds up to waist height in places. You enter via a vaulted doorway and climb some further steps up to the battlements and the superb views to all compass points.

There are remains of old wells in the inner courtyard, plus deep, narrow holes in the floor, rather reminiscent of the "oubliettes" found elsewhere, where the offenders would be placed, feet first, and literally "forgotten" until they died of thirst and hunger.

Nothing is labelled up here, and there is nothing to show the visitor what they are looking at, but in some ways, this adds to the mystery and isolation of this ancient fortress. Crumbling walls, buttresses, and battlements indicate that it has been many centuries since the fabled knights occupied this garrison. Sheep and goats amble through the interior without a care in the world, their occasional bleating the only sound other than the warm, mountain breezes in this still, hot place.

The castle is a place to sit and ponder, for it is left to the visitor to conjure up images of how things might have been here back in the mists of time. I sat back on a stony seat, drank some water, and relaxed, picturing what the day-to-day life would have been like all those years ago.

I was awakened from my daydreams by a goat, intent on obtaining a free meal from my rucksack. I shared my bread with him and received no thanks as he wandered off sure-footedly across the crags, leaving me to make the steep climb back down to the village.

The Palace was used by the Turks as a prison for awhile and then abandoned. In 1856, a nearby explosion caused severe damage to the Palace and it remained in ruins until the Italian occupation during World War II. Italian architects rebuilt it between 1937 to 1940 and it was intended to be a grand residence for Mussolini. Mosaics from the neighbouring island of Kos were embedded in the floors. Antique European furniture is displayed throughout the Palace and there is a museum with artifacts from the original building. The large outdoor courtyard is filled with marble statues from the Hellenistic and Roman eras. At night, there is a sound and light show in the summer and the Palace is dramatically lit up.

Other than the courtyard and floor mosaics, I wasn’t that impressed with the Palace because it just didn’t feel authentic. The reconstruction was certainly very well done but it lacked warmth, maybe because it looked too new and perfect for me to imagine the 15th century.

Not all of the Palace is open for viewing since it still used for official functions. Admission is approx. $6.00 and it is open from 9am to 9 pm, Tuesday through Sunday and Monday from 2:30 to 9:00.