Remains of a castle on a hill named “Kastro”, 1 km northeast of the small mountainous village of Tsisristra or Tziristra in Argolis, Peloponnese.

History

We do not know anything about the history of the fortification. There is no record about it in the sources. Obviously (judging from the type of construction) it was not ancient. It must have been a settlement created in the Middle Ages, perhaps in a period of raids (by Slavs, Saracens etc.) In other words, it probably belonged to the Middle Byzantine period, although we cannot rule out a Late-Byzantine or Frankish origin.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The castle has an elongated layout in the axis North-South with a maximum length 300m and maximum width 80m. Its perimeter is about 630m. Most of the perimeter (about 60%) is fortified while the rest –the entire western side– is not walled, as it is protected naturally by the rough terrain.

The walls of the original fortification are preserved in low height, 1.5 to 2.5m. The thickness of the walls was 2m.
The eastern side is fortified in its entire length, about 290m. Its northern end is an imposing rock which was like a natural tower. An equally huge rock lies at the southern edge. At that southern end, a 90m-long SW wall also converges (partly covering the naturally protected western side of the castle).

The walls are constructed by irregular-shaped, semi-processed stones without mortar. In the middle of the eastern side we find the remains of two square towers ()4✖4m). Here must have been the gate.

Sources