Remnants of a Byzantine castle on a low coastal hill between the village Kyparissi and the beach of Kyparissi.

Location & Strategic Scope

In Kyparissi there are two castles very close to each other, on neighboring hills on the south side of the beach (see photos 3 and 9):
First, there is the castle with the name “Kastraki” which is ancient and was probably the acropolis of the ancient city Kyfanda.

Opposite it to the east, at an aerial distance of less than 250 meters, on a slightly higher hill is another castle: the Medieval “Castle of Kalogria” (Kalogria in Greek means nun).

Due to the proximity of the two castles, one could assume that it is a single fortification. However, they belong to different eras, with the castle of Kalogria being much newer as inferred from the use of mortar in its stonework.

History

The history of the castle of Kalogria is not known. The type of construction shows that it is medieval.

One of the few things that is known about the Medieval history of Kyparissi is that the village first appears with this name after 1000 CE while in the “Chronicle” of Georgios Sfrantzis it is mentioned that in 1435 it was owned by the Duke of Athens, the Florentine Nerio II Acciaiuoli. If so, at that time Kyparissi would be one of the last areas in Peloponnese that was not under the rule of the Despotate of Mystras.

Therefore the castle of Kalogria must have been built between the 11th and 15th century, most likely between the 13th and 14th century. We will characterize it with some reservation as “late Byzantine”.
It should be noted that locally prevails the view that the Castle of Kalogria was a castle-monastery. This cannot be confirmed, as no one has ever investigated the place. Maybe this impression is due to the name. On the other hand, it is not excluded that it was indeed a castle monastery or even became a monastery later, when its role as a castle ended (eg during the Turkish occupation). Perhaps the castle was named “of the Nun” by the last (and only) nun in the monastery. In any case, we do not know with certainty either the date of construction or the reason for the existence of the fortification or the origin of the name.

The opposite castle in Kastraki, as mentioned above is ancient. There do not seem to be any significant subsequent modifications and additions with the exception of the conversion of a tower into a chapel. It is identified with the ancient city of Kyfanta mentioned by Pausanias and which was destroyed since then (in the 2nd century CE). However, the identification with Kyfanta is not entirely certain.
The ancient fortification in Kastraki would certainly be used during the middle Byzantine times (before the construction of the castle of Kalogria) but obviously only occasionally, as a shelter (otherwise we would see more enhancements in the ancient fortification).

Sources