Katelionas

Nothing remains for the visitor to see today, except piles of ruins, of this once flourishing village situated between Handras and Sitanos. In 1583 census for the Venetians is mentioned as Cattegliona of Sitia with 428 (!!) inhabitants. The population however, slowly diminished until in 1881 there were only 26 living there, and now it is completely deserted. Certain researchers believe that the ancient city of Dragmos must have been sited here. According to the inscription of the Arbitration of the Magnesians this was situated between Itanos and Pressos. Certainly,funerary inscriptions, larnakes and innumerable potsherdssupport the theory that there was some ancient settlement here.

Despite this it is thought by some that Katelionas was originally a pure Venetian village. In any case it must once have been fortified as we can see from the name which is derived from a Latin-based word meaning «fortified place». The Greek equivalent is Kastello, also from the Latin root.

From the book “Sitia”, N.Papadakis, Arcaeologist