Ministry of Culture: Restoration of Roman Cardo and Tetrapylon at Pervola, Medieval Rhodes – Public Access by 2026

The Ministry of Culture aims to make the site accessible to the public by the summer of 2026.

Ministry of Culture: Highlighting the Roman Cardo road and the Tetrapylon in the "Pervola" archaeological site, Medieval City of Rhodes

The Ministry of Culture, through the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Dodecanese, is proceeding with restoration and enhancement works on the Roman Cardo road, as well as proposals for safe visitor access via the Decumanus road and to the Roman Tetrapylon, within the "Pervola" archaeological site in the Medieval City of Rhodes.

The project involves consolidating and highlighting individual elements of the monumental complex, as well as reassembling selected scattered architectural members.

These interventions follow the approved Masterplan for the conservation, configuration, and enhancement of the archaeological site of the Neoria (ancient ship sheds) and the Medieval Gardens of the Palace of the Grand Master.

The project, with a total budget of €4,500,000 funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is shaping and highlighting this particularly significant but hitherto underappreciated archaeological site, "Pervola."

The history of Pervola: From Hellenistic times to the Italian occupation

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, stated: “The 'Pervola' archaeological site documents the long history of Rhodes across the ages, as it was a key point in the ancient city, organically linked to the Palace of the Grand Master and still in use during the Italian occupation period.

Until now, the archaeological value of this monumental complex had not been properly highlighted. The site's multiple auxiliary uses—storing the numerous scattered ancient funerary and architectural members unearthed by excavations in Rhodes over at least the past 80 years—have prevented its restoration and the presentation of its overall image.

This monumental ensemble preserves sections of the ship sheds of the ancient military harbor of Rhodes, the paved Roman processional Cardo road with stoas and shops, and the monumental Tetrapylon.

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The interventions being carried out by the Ministry of Culture respect the site's unique characteristics. The goal is to highlight the existing archaeological remains through characteristic exhibits that connect to the monuments' original functions, which in turn represent significant periods of the ancient city: from Hellenistic and Roman times to the era of the Knights Hospitaller.

We want this archaeological site to be handed over by the summer of 2026 to the local community and visitors to the island—functionally integrated with the Palace of the Grand Master, restored, and accessible to people with disabilities and those with reduced mobility.”

Pervola, which forms an open-air area within the medieval walls near the Palace of the Grand Master, consists of four natural terraces covering a total area of 17 acres (strema).

In this archaeological site lie the ancient ship sheds (neoria) of the "Small Harbor," the military harbor of ancient Rhodes (today's Mandraki). In the 4th century BC, the ship sheds appear to have become unusable, either due to silting or to the major earthquakes that struck Rhodes (notably in 227 BC). Over the Hellenistic remains of the ancient city's ship sheds, a Roman processional Cardo road was built, featuring stoas and shops leading to a monumental Roman Tetrapylon (2nd century AD) at the intersection of the Cardo and Decumanus roads.

This intervention marks the "opening" of the Roman city toward Mandraki. In the central zone of the city—where the ancient Agora, the "Deigma," and the "Dionysion" were located—most monumental configurations took place along the main axes of Cardo and Decumanus, following Roman standards. In the area, in-situ remains of the paved roads (Cardo – Decumanus) are preserved.

The Tetrapylon was uncovered during excavations in the Italian occupation period (1925–1928). During the same period, the church of Saint Demetrius of Piossasco (late 15th century) was also revealed, built on the site of the Temple of Dionysus, known from ancient sources.

More than 15,000 finds from excavations

After the Dodecanese islands were incorporated into Greece, the site was named "Pervola" and used as a storage area for antiquities, holding more than 15,000 finds from excavations in Rhodes. In 1940, excavations resumed and uncovered significant architectural remains belonging to a Roman building. For the Italian administration, the discovery of the Tetrapylon provided a highly symbolic example of the city's Roman past. During the same excavation period, remains of the Hellenistic ship sheds came to light, including still-visible built inclined ramps for launching and hauling vessels, as well as traces of the ship houses (neosoikoi).

The objective of the consolidation and restoration project is to address structural, construction, and aesthetic issues in the monumental complex through mild interventions for restoration and enhancement, with the following aims:

a) to highlight the remains of the Cardo road and its colonnades as part of the monumental ensemble of the Roman Tetrapylon,

b) to aesthetically upgrade the site and integrate it into the broader tour of the archaeological park,

c) to showcase the archaeological value of "Pervola,"

d) to improve the site's legibility and readability,

e) to make it accessible to the public.

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