Remains of a small venetian fort on the hill “Goulas” above the village Vounaria north of Koroni.

History

It was obviously part of the defensive system of the important-fortress city of Koroni. Also, it controlled part of the inland road from Navarino to Koroni.

The village Vounaria was destroyed in a Turkish raid of 1401 and after that the Venetians built this small castle. So, it was built early in the 15th century during the first Venetian period of Peloponnese.

However, the castle is not mentioned in the lists of Venetian castles of the late 15th century. Maybe it was too small or maybe this is the Vunargo mentioned in the list of 1463 (instead the modern village of Vunargo in Elis, where there are no traces of a castle).

The village was mentioned in Venetian documents before 1430 as Vounario or Vounaria or Avounaria. It is also recorded in a detailed Venetian census of the second Venetian period (Alberghetti, BREVE DESCRITTIONE DEL REGNO DI MOREA, 1702 [;]) as Vunaria.

Structure, Fortification & Buildings

The layout of the castle is almost a square with a periimeter of 42m and a surface of 115  sq.m. It is not in good condition but the SW side is preserved to some height. Despite its bad condition the outline of the fortification is clear.

Close to the SW corner there is an underground cistern with signs of relatively recent use (perhaps by farmers).

Sources