Naxos Places to visit The Castle (Kastro)  

Naxos town is located under the Venetian Castle (Kastro), built by Marco Sanudo after the fourth crusade. He was part of the family of Enrico Dandolo, doge of Venice and participator of the crusade. Venice was the conqueror and Maro Sanudo founded, after occupying, the duchy of the Cyclades with its capital in Naxos (1207). 

The Kastro was built on dense constructions of the Middle Ages. The "Barozzi" House is located at the southwestern gate of the Kastro and is still in property of the family. The Barozzis were one of the 7 families who founded Venice and were barons on Santorini between 1207-1335. One of the houses of "Della Rokka", the old family "Del la Roche", great dukes of Athens and Attica, has a nice shop "Antico Venetico" selling old dishes, furniture and textiles in the backroom, reminding the rule of the dukes. Actually, it is more or less a museum and has 4 columns of classical temples. Della Rokkas still own one of the eldest pharmacies of the Cyclades (end of 19th century) in Naxos town. 

The boarding school of the Ursulines is on the way to the Archaeological Museum and it was visited until around 25 years ago. It was a place, where well-to-do families used to send their girls for education and upbringing. 

The Jesuit Commercial School, where Nikos Kazantzakis (author of Alexis Zorbas) studied houses the Archaeological Museum today. The museum shows founds of the roman, the classical and lots of things of the archaic period of Naxos (5. - 6. century B.C.) - not to forget the idols of the Cyclades. 

The Catholic Cathedral of Naxos, the diocese and a very old building in the opposite, which must have been a retreat place for the Kastro and now used as a water depot for Naxos town, are closed. 

The Venetian Museum is located in the old palazzi Della Rokka-Barozzi and is run by a member of the family. He is very interested in showing the way the dukes were living. He offers tours in the museum, around the Kastro, and he organizes different kinds of concerts during the season. Below the museum starts the old Greek town "Bourgos" (monument safety).

The old town was built about 3500 years ago but unfortunately there is no remnant of this period left -not even relicts of the osmanic period. The Bourgos invites with its nice little places, arches, little shops, restaurants and taverns for an exciting walk