# Platamon Castle

- **Country:** Greece
- **Coordinates:** 40.005680, 22.598410
- **Century Built:** Frankish period
- **Location Text:** Platamon

Platamon Castle is a prominent Crusader fortress located in the Pieria regional unit of Macedonia, Greece, situated southeast of Mount Olympus. Constructed between 1204 and 1222 during the Frankokratia period, the castle occupies a highly strategic position controlling the exit of the Tempe valley. This location historically guarded the primary road connecting Macedonia with Thessaly and southern Greece, while its imposing donjon tower overlooks the highway below. Although the visible structure dates to the thirteenth century, the site possesses a much deeper history, having served as the location for the ancient Greek city of Herakleion since pre-Christian times. Archaeological findings, including Hellenistic wall sections and artifacts like shells and coins, suggest the ancient urban core lies on the northwest side of the castle hill.

The historical significance of the site spans millennia, with evidence of settlement dating back to the Bronze Age. Ancient historians such as Skylax of Karyanda and Titus Livius documented the location, noting its importance before it was conquered by Athenians in 430 BC to control the Thermaic Gulf. After falling to the Romans in the second century BC, the area saw limited recorded activity until the Byzantine era. The name Platamon, referring to a rock surrounded by the sea, emerged during this later period. The castle played a critical role in medieval conflicts, notably in 1425 when Venetian forces briefly captured it from the Ottomans. Local accounts describe a brutal assault during this event where over one hundred Ottoman defenders were burned alive inside the fortress. Today, the castle stands as a key historical landmark in Pieria, preserving layers of military and cultural heritage from antiquity through the Crusades.

![Photo of Platamon Castle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/GR-platamonas-festung.jpg)

**Source:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platamon_Castle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)