The castle of Kasnetsi or Kalias, is located at Filiates Thesprotias, north of the village of Miloi, on a steep hill. It is estimated to have been built during the late Roman times. This small castle was called upon to control the Gitana plain and access to the inland and has all the characteristic traits of a fortification. A 2m-thick wall surrounds the hill’s relatively flat peak, while the castle is supported by seven rectangular towers.
The castle of Kasnetsi (or Kalias) was built at a time when the pax romana of the first two centuries A.D. ceased abruptly after the Gothic raids of the mid-3rd century A.D.
As was the case with other castles, towers and towerhouses of the region, it was built to control Gitanis plain and access to the inland. It overlooks a hill northwest of Filiata, in the direction of Sagiada, on the right side of the road. The castle has a wall approximately 2 meters thick and a perimeter of 360 meters, which surrounds the fortification that is supported by seven rectangular towers in total. As it happens with other fortifications of the area, such as Ragiou tower, Kasnetsi has the infrastructure to ‘survive’ a siege: rain water was collected using a half-meter high drainpipe, while inside one can still find a 4.Χ2,5m cistern where rain water was stored.
According to archaeologist Sotiris Thakaris, the castle “controlled the Goumani plain from the North and the passage towards Plaisio-Vouthroto”. He also believes the main gate of the castle to have been on the east side.
Concerning its name, Charalambos Simeonidis professor of Literature and Linguistics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, considers that it originates from the Albanian surname Kaznesi (Greek surname Kaznezis) which means “herald”. The name is justified in the case the castle was used as a watchtower, which is very likely since it oversees the whole area.
As was the case with other castles, towers and towerhouses of the region, it was built to control Gitanis plain and access to the inland. It overlooks a hill northwest of Filiata, in the direction of Sagiada, on the right side of the road. The castle has a wall approximately 2 meters thick and a perimeter of 360 meters, which surrounds the fortification that is supported by seven rectangular towers in total. As it happens with other fortifications of the area, such as Ragiou tower, Kasnetsi has the infrastructure to ‘survive’ a siege: rain water was collected using a half-meter high drainpipe, while inside one can still find a 4.Χ2,5m cistern where rain water was stored.
According to archaeologist Sotiris Thakaris, the castle “controlled the Goumani plain from the North and the passage towards Plaisio-Vouthroto”. He also believes the main gate of the castle to have been on the east side.
Concerning its name, Charalambos Simeonidis professor of Literature and Linguistics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, considers that it originates from the Albanian surname Kaznesi (Greek surname Kaznezis) which means “herald”. The name is justified in the case the castle was used as a watchtower, which is very likely since it oversees the whole area.
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