There is no castle in the village of Ano Kastritsi. There was one, however, during the Frankokratia on the characteristic cobblestone hill of Agios Andreas in the south of the village. There are few traces left, the most visible of which are the remains of a cistern (water tank).
There may be other remains but they are covered by the dense vegetation.

The village is mountainous, located on Mount Panachaikon. Next to the hill flows the Kastritsianikos river also known as the Selemnos river (for which, incidentally, it is known from mythology that whoever drinks from its water forgets his lover).

History

The castle certainly existed in the 14th century and perhaps even earlier, in the 13th century. It is believed, without being certain, that the castle was built during the period when Patras was ruled by the Alleman baron family, around the middle of the 13th century. It was one of the castles built around Patras to strengthen the city's defenses. Patras during Frankish rule was originally the seat of barony, which after the middle of the 13th century passed under the jurisdiction of the Latin Archdiocese of Patras and remained in this ownership status until the end of the 14th century. In the early 15th century, in 1408, the area was leased to Venice. But 5 years later, the Franks took it back to pass in 1428 to the Byzantines of the Despotate of Mystras.
Kastritsi is mentioned in the document of the Venetian acquisition of 1408 as Io Castrizo.

Except from the 1408 document, the Kastritsi castle is included in the list of fiefs of 1364. It is also in the Venetian lists of 1467 and 1471, where is recorded as Venetian with the name Castrizzi. The 1471 listing is the last report we have for this castle by a historical source. Apparently, it was destroyed either by the Ottomans or by natural causes (the ground of the hill is exceptionally loose).

Previously, Kastritsi was surrendered to the Turks without fight during the campaign of Mohamed the Conqueror in Peloponnese in 1460.

Sources