Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes - Rhodes, Greece - Legacy of Medieval Spiritual Warriors on Waymarking.com

"Located at the end of the Street of the Knights, at the highest point of the Greek medieval city, the Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is a 14th-century castle standing on the site of a 7th-century Byzantine fortress. It is a square building designed around a large courtyard with impressive towers, massive walls, and elaborate decorative elements, and it is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece.

From 1309 to 1522, the Knights of St. John (a.k.a. Knights Hospitaller), a Christian military organization, ruled the island of Rhodes. In the early 14th century, they made numerous modifications and converted the Byzantine citadel into an administrative center and the residence of their Grand Master.

The Ottomans, who captured Rhodes in the 16th century, used the castle as a fortress and a command center. It remained unscathed until 1856 when a gunpowder explosion in the basement of the nearby Church of St. John almost destroyed the palace.

At the beginning of the 20th century, during the Italian occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, the palace saw extensive restoration work. Between 1937 and 1940, the Italian architect Vittorio Mesturino rebuilt it to become a holiday residence for King Victor Emmanuel III, and later for the dictator Benito Mussolini.

In the 1950s, when Rhodes was unified with Greece, the Greek government turned the palace into a museum. There are over 150 rooms inside, of which only 24 are open to visitors. Many of these rooms feature exhibitions which display the history of Rhodes, as well as a rich collection of 16th and 17th-century jewels, handicrafts, weapons, books, and paintings.

The floors are decorated with mosaics of late Hellenistic, Roman, and early Christian times, excavated on the island of Kos. One of the most famous is the mosaic of Medusa from the 2nd century BC."

SOURCE - (visit link)

"Sto télos tis Odoú ton Ippotón, sto psilótero simeío tis ellinikís mesaionikís pólis, to paláti tou Megálou Magístrou ton Ippotón tis Ródou eínai éna kástro tou 14ou aióna pou stéketai sti thési enós vyzantinoú frouríou tou 7ou aióna Eínai éna tetrágono ktírio schediasméno gýro apó mia megáli avlí me entyposiakoús pýrgous, mazikoús toíchous kai perítechna diakosmitiká stoicheía kai eínai éna apó ta líga paradeígmata gotthikís architektonikís stin Elláda.

Apó to 1309 éos to 1522, oi Ippótes tou Agíou Ioánni (christianikós stratiotikós organismós), kyvernoúsan ti Ródo. Stis archés tou 14ou aióna éginan pollés tropopoiíseis kai metamórfosan ti vyzantiní akrópoli se dioikitikó kéntro kai tin katoikía tou Megálou Daskálou tous.

Oi Othomanoí, pou katélavan ti Ródo ton 16o aióna, chrisimopoíisan to kástro os froúrio kai kéntro dioíkisis. Parémeine alóviti méchri to 1856 ótan mia ékrixi pyrítidas sto ypógeio tis kontinís ekklisías tou Agíou Ioánni katéstrepse schedón to paláti.

Stis archés tou 20ou aióna, katá tin italikí katochí ton Dodekaníson, to anáktoro eíde ektetaménes ergasíes apokatástasis. Metaxý tou 1937 kai tou 1940, o Italós architéktonas Vittorio Mesturino xanachtístike gia na gínei mia paratheristikí katoikía gia ton vasiliá Víktor Emmanouíl G ', kai argótera gia ton diktátora Beníto Mousolíni.

Sti dekaetía tou 1950, ótan i Ródos enopoiíthike me tin Elláda, i ellinikí kyvérnisi metétrepse to paláti se mouseío. Ypárchoun esoteriká perissótera apó 150 domátia, ek ton opoíon móno 24 eínai anoiktá gia tous episképtes. Pollá apó aftá ta domátia diathétoun ekthéseis pou parousiázoun tin istoría tis Ródou, kathós kai mia ploúsia syllogí apó kosmímata tou 16ou kai 17ou aióna, cheirotechnímata, ópla, vivlía kai pínakes zografikís.

Ta dápeda eínai diakosmiména me psifidotá ton argaleión, romaïkón kai palaiochristianikón chrónon, pou anaskáfikan sto nisí tis Ko. Éna apó ta pio diásima eínai to mosaïkó tis Médousas apó ton 2o aióna p.CH. "

PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)