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Anastasioupoli is located near the top of Lake Vistonida, on the fertile plain at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains. From Roman times it was a staging post on the Via Egnatia known as Stabulo Diomedis (=Diomedes’ Stables); tradition held it to be the pastures of the wild and bloodthirsty horses of Diomedes, which only Hercules managed to capture. The name Anastasioupoli is first attested by the historian Procopius , and is probably derived from Emperor Anastasius I (491-518), who fortified it for the first time. After being destroyed by Ivan Asan in 1206, and re-founded in 1341 by Andronicus III Palaeologus , the city was named Peritheorio.

Anastasioupoli Castle is polygonal in shape, reinforced at intervals with round and square towers. The city grew up in the 53 acres enclosed by the walls. The reign of Justinian (527-565) saw two major construction projects at Anastasioupoli. The first was a cross wall built to protect the shore zone against barbarian raids from the sea. The second was a 4km long wall that served a dual purpose: on the one hand it blocked off the crossing between the walls and the mountain, controlling movement on the Via Egnatia, and on the other it served as an aqueduct, thus securing a supply of precious water from the Rhodope Mountains.

In the castle’s final phase the three towers and central arched city gate were decorated with Palaeologus monograms in brickwork and stone carving. The interior of the castle now lies buried under accumulated earth and lush vegetation.


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