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Pyrgos Kallistis is a medieval hilltop village at the geographic center of Santorini, crowned by the ruins of a Venetian kasteli (castle). Its concentric streets spiral upward around the fortified hill, creating a labyrinthine layout that predates the tourist era and offers some of the widest panoramic views of the entire island.
Pyrgos was the administrative capital of Santorini until 1800 and its most populated settlement. The kasteli was built by the Venetians in the 13th century as one of five defensive fortresses on the island. After the capital moved to Fira, Pyrgos declined but was never abandoned, preserving its medieval character more authentically than the rebuilt caldera villages.