Frangokastello is a ruined 14th-century fortress, constructed soon after the Fourth Crusade (1204) by the Venetians, who sought a stronghold against pirates and Sfakiot warriors. The legendary Ioannis Daskalogiannis, who led a disastrous rebellion against Ottoman oppression in 1770, was persuaded to surrender at the fortress but was later flayed alive by the Turks. On 17 May 1828, in one of the bloodiest battles of the Greek War of Independence, 385 Cretan rebels made a last stand here. About 800 Turks were killed along with the rebels.
Legend has it that at dawn each anniversary the rebels' ghosts, the drosoulites, can be seen marching along the beach. The name comes from the Greek word drosia meaning ‘dew’, which may refer to the dawn moisture during the hours when the ghosts are said to appear. The site is under construction until around 2022 but will remain open to the public.
