The Palace of the Grand Master

At the point of the Castle, stands the Palace of the Grand Masters witch was the administrative center and the Knights "Acropolis", it had very imposing dimensions {80X75m) and defensive fortifications. It was so strong that during the siege of 1522 it suffered little damage. On the site where the palace stands (Castello) the :Lower Acropolis" of ancient Rhodes once stood.
This is also where the acropolis of the Rhodians of the Byzantine period stood (7th century).

The palace was completely destroyed by the great explosion at the church of St.John in 1865. The Italians rebuilt it on the ruins of the old one, as faithfully as possible, and completed it in 1940. Its floors are decorated with marvelous mosaics of the Hellenistic and Roman period which were brought in from Kos island. The statues in the inner courtyard of the palace are also from the Hellenistic and Roman period. There are indications that under its foundations lies the famous ancient temple of Helios with its lavish decoration.