The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, the famous “Castello”, is one of the greatest monuments erected in the eastern Mediterranean during the Middle Ages.
It was the administrative centre, the residence of grand master of the Knights of St John of Rhodes, as well as the seat of the established ruling class.
During the Ottoman period following its capture by the Muslim Turks, it was seriously damaged during a gunpowder explosion. The site was rebuilt during the early 20th century Italian occupation, in 1912.
Today it houses the Museum of Rhodes, and has an extensive array of exhibits. Visitors are able to admire not only the palace itself, but also the impressive collections of tombstones, paintings, statuary, jewellery, books and mosaics. Here are also some of the most important archaeological findings of the ancient history of the eastern Mediterranean, such as the Trophy of Mithridatic Wars, the statue of Laokoon, and the mosaic of the enigmatic Medusa.
