In the 13th century, the Venetians established their presence by building the Castle of Milos, on the hill, which is called Prophet Elias and is about 280 meters high. The Castle survived but was vandalized from soldiers and pirates during the decades. In 1738 Milos flustered from a powerful earthquake and in 1750 the eruption of the volcano made the situation even worse. By the end of the 18th century these terrible events forced the inhabitants to abandon the main town of Milos and the surviving population moved into the Venetian castle. The castle was abandoned after the Greek revolution of 1821. During World War II, Germans used it as a war base. The bombards during WWII ruined the nearby church of Virgin Mary. A visit to the castle in the late evening offers visitors the opportunity to admire an enchanting sunset.