At the seaside village Paralio Astros in the eastern Peloponnese, at the top of the hill that dominates the port, there is a castle that is often referred to as the Castle (or Tower) of the Zafeiropouloi.

History

The castle at Paralio Astros is confused by some older scholars with the Frankish castle Estella, which according to the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of Morea, it was built in 1256 by William Villehardouin. “Estella” is supposed to be the translation of the Greek name “Astros”. Today, it is certain that the castle on Paralio Astros has nothing to do with the Estella castle.

Regardless of this, it has been claimed that a Byzantine castle pre-existed on the site of the castle of Paralio Astros. But this hypothesis can not be verified, as it is not supported by findings or historical sources.

There are two construction phases in the castle: The first phase belongs to the period between the 17th c. and the end of the 18th c. It may even be related to the end of the Second Venetian Occupation and the recapture of the area in 1715 by the Ottomans. (At that time, the Ottomans fortified some positions to consolidate their presence in the area, fearing the Tsakonians and the return of the Venetians.)
The second construction period is from 1824 and 1825, when the castle belonged to the three Zafeiropoulos brothers who were rich merchants from abroad and members of the Filiki Etaireia.
In this second period, that is, in the first decades of the 19th century, the Zafeiropoulos brothers built three houses, strengthened the walls, and the castle took the form that more or less has to this day.

An important moment in the history of the castle was the battle on August 5-6, 1826, when the fighters under Panagiotis Zafeiropoulos confronted Ibrahim's army, led by Suleiman Pasha, and managed to repel the Egyptian troops.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The castle consists of an inner four-sided fortification enclosure and two outer enclosures, to the west and east. The eastern outer enclosure forms a rectangular courtyard. Respectively, the western one is formed in two triangular bastions and has two circular towers with scarpa, cordone and parapetto, with cannon holes.

At the NE end of the western outer enclosure there is an entrance that was protected by a tower to its east (photos 2 and 5). Another gate (photo 10), which was formed during the second construction phase, is located in the middle of the eastern outer courtyard. Access to it is via a stone staircase.

Several musket holes were opened during the first construction phase of the castle, both on the wall of the outer enclosures and inside, while during the years of the Greek Revolution some of them were closed and new ones were opened. The inner courtyard was formed during the second construction phase of the castle, in the 19th century.
The houses of the three Zafeiropoulos brothers, typical examples of the pre-revolutionary architecture of the area, are located inside this area. These are spacious houses that declare the prosperity of their owners, without a strong defensive character.

Sources