Palios Paos, Kalavryta, Achaea,West Greece
Castle of Avroti
or Castle of Agios Athanasios
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west wall-Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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upper fort-Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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upper fort-Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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SW tower-Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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east wall of the fort - S. Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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east wall of the fort - S. Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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houses- Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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houses- Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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next to Agios Panteleimon-Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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Agia Paraskevi-Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
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Sakis Lemonakis, Nov 2019
THE END
| Location: |
| On a mountain peak NW of the village Paos of Achaea, northern Peloponnese |
| Region > Prefecture: |  |
| West Greece Achaea | |
| Municipality > Town: | |
| City of Kalavryta • Palios Paos | |
| Altitude: | |
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Elevation ≈ 1108 m (Relative Height≈400 m) |
| Time of Construction | Origin | |
| 13th century | FRANKISH  |
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| Castle Type | Condition | |
| Medieval Settlement |
In Ruins
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A medieval settlement with a ruined castle at the top, on the rocky peak of the mountain Agios Athanassios, above the village Palaio Paos. It is recorded as “Paos-Avroti” in modern research, but its medieval name is unknown. Paos is the name of an ancient city nearby, while Avroti used to be the name of the mountain.
Generally it is believed that the settlement was founded in the 13th century and was the center of one of the 12 fiefs of the Frankish barony of Kalavryta. There is no solid proof about this, however. These parts were Frankish until the defeat of the Franks in the battle of Pelagonia in 1259. In the aftermath of that battle, the Byzantines of Mystras took over.
Structure, Fortification & Buildings
The castle is at a plateau at the highest point. The perimeter of about 270m encloses an area of 3500 sq.m. The thickness of the curtain wall is 1m and its maximum preserved height 2.5m. Mostly is destroyed and preserved in very low height.
At the western wall the ruins of 3 towers 3✖2,5 m protrude.
The keep is on the peak, at the NE corner of the perimeter. It is a square tower 4.5✖4.5. It is in bad condition and in low height. A cistern next to it has collapsed.
The settlement spreads with hundreds of drystone houses at the east of the castle. The remains of several churches are found between them.
Perimeter of the castle (red) and of the settlement (green); blue is the tower.
| First entry in Kastrologos: | December 2019 |
Sources
- Photos and info by Sakis Lemonakis and his blog ΑΜΦΙΤΡΕΙΔΗΣ
- Ιωάννης Θ. Σφηκόπουλος, Τα µεσαιωνικά κάστρα του Μορηά , Athens,1987, page 204-5
- Konstantinos Kourelis, “MONUMENTS OF RURAL ARCHAEOLOGY MEDIEVAL SETTLEMENTS ΙΝ ΤΗΕ NORTHWESTERN PELOPONNESE”, Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, 2003, page 342-43
- ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΟΝ ΔΕΛΤΙΟΝ, τεύχος 49 – Β1, 1994, σελ. 261
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| Access |
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| Approach to the monument: |
| From the NR Patra-Tripoli exit to PAos and then take the road to Skoupi (deserted). A 1.2km dirt road from the church of Agioi Theodoroi brings to the foot of the hill. From there a 30min path leads to the old settlement and the castle. |
| Entrance: |
| Free access |