Kakotari, Ancient Olympia, Elis,West Greece
Castle of Ochia (Viper)
or Castle of Oria
| Location: |
| Kakotaravouni hill between the villages Kakotari, Tsipiana, Kryovrysi in Peloponnese |
| Region > Prefecture: |  |
| West Greece Elis | |
| Municipality > Town: | |
| City of Ancient Olympia • Kakotari | |
| Altitude: | |
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Elevation ≈ 1085 m (Relative Height≈500 m) |
| Time of Construction | Origin | |
| Probably 12th cent. | BYZANTINE  |
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| Castle Type | Condition | |
| Medieval Settlement |
In Ruins
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The castle of Ochia (=viper) is the name of a fortified settlement on the top and the slopes of a hill in Elia, 3 km NW of the village Kakotari.
River Pinios flows below, at the point of junction with its tributary Keresovitiko potami.
It has been established that the settlement was medieval and not older. Probably it was created in the middle Byzantine period. It is not known when it was abandoned. Perhaps in the 13th century when the Franks arrived.
Its original name is not known and it has not been identified with a settlement mentioned in the sources.
The surface covers an area of 200m x 200m approximately. Near the top there are the remains of a tower and of a big cistern.
Around 450 buildings have been counted at the location including the ruins of churches, mills and a cemetery.
The castle of Ochia has been excavated between 1990-1993 by a team of the University MARWP of Minessota under professor Frederic Cooper .
| First entry in Kastrologos: | November 2012 | Last addition of photo/video: | July 2023 |
Sources
- Website αντρωνι - Το Κάστρο της Οχιάς
- Website Λίγα και καλά - Το Κάστρο της Οχιάς στην Ορεινή Ηλεία !
- Information sent by Mr. Ioannis Dedes
- Photos 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 by Harry Lolas and his Facebook page (2022)
- Video (and photos 11,12,13) by the user Kostas Gertzos ΚΑΣΤΡΟ ΟΧΙΑΣ ή ΩΡΙΑΣ, ΗΛΕΙΑ (DRONE). CASTLE of OCHIA (VIPER), ILIA, GREECE. (December 2023)
- Video by the user harryllas Καστρο Οχιας-Βυζαντινός Οικισμός στην ορεινή Ηλεία -Castle of the Viper-Byzantine settlement Greece (2024)
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| Access |
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| Approach to the monument: |
| From Kakotari a dirt road leads to the foot of the hill from where you have to walk for half an hour uphill to the peak |
| Entrance: |
| Free but difficult access |