A castle on the hill named “Skoupitsa” 1km east of the village Paleo Paos on the National Road Patra-Tripolis, in the mountainous region south of Kalavryta in Achaea, northeastern Peloponnese.

This was actually the acropolis of an ancient city but it was used also in the Middle Ages as a fortress.

The modern village“ Paleos Paos” was founded in the 1970s, when people moved here from the old village of Paos which is a little to the north. The old name of the old village was “Skoupi” and for this reason the researchers of the beginning of the 20th century refer to the castle as Castle of Skoupi.

History

The ancient kome Paos is mentioned by Herodotus. It is also mentioned by Pausanias who visited in 167 AD and found the site in ruins. The old town was at the plateau at the foot of the hill. Atop the hill was its acropolis.

In the Middle Ages the acropolis was inhabited again. This is concluded by the medieval additions to the fortification. However, it is not known exactly when and for how long. Probably before the 13th century.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The site has not been excavated. There are ruins but neither towers nor houses are visible.

The most prominent element of the site are two circuit walls, the interior and the exterior wall.

The interior wall circuit is ancient and encloses the ancient acropolis with an irregular layout measuring 35✖22✖40✖10 m.

The exterior wall is medieval made of irregular dry stone construction. Its perimeter is 516m enclosing an area of ca. 1 acre.
In some areas of the ancient wall, medieval repairs are visible.

A cistern at the northwest comer of the acropolis, 11m✖8m survives at a height of 3 m.

Sources