
Kefalos hill of Paros
Kefalos hill rises east of Marpissa. The cone shaped hill, hosts on the top the monastery of Agios Antonios. Geologically, Kefalos hill is a non-active volcano where its crater lies beneath the Holy Altar of the monastery.
On the hill of Kefalos are preserved the ruins of the Venetian castle, built in the 15th century. Of all the castles of the island is the one with the greatest historical importance, as it was the last one kept by the Venetian before the Ottoman rule. The admiral of the Turkish fleet pirate Barbarossa had taken over the island and the Venetian lord Sommaripa barricaded to the Castle of Kefalos where they resisted without success. The castle fell into the hands of Barbarossa in 1537.
At the top of the hill of Kefalos stands the Monastery of Agios Antonios (St. Anthony) with gilded carved iconostasis and valuable old photos. Just below the monastery, between the stones of the ruined castle are the ruins of many old churches and chapels both Orthodox and Catholic. The church belongs to the three-aisled cruciform basilica with two domes, a unique phenomenon in Paros. The monastery became a monastic center from 1642 that was communal. From the 18th century the monastery was protected by the family of the ruler of Wallachia Nicholas Mavrogenis and was distinguished for its financial activities, having had many farms, animals, windmills and even boats.