A forgotten, remote and ruined castle with a rich history.

History

The following history refers to Ypati as a city and not exclusively to the castle, which apparently was only a part of the ancient and the medieval city -perhaps an acropolis. It is not known (to Kastrologos at least) if the castle was the actual center of activity and administration. Probably, it was not.

Ypati (Greek: Υπάτη) is a village in Phthiotis, Greece. In the Middle Ages and the Ottoman period, it was known as Neopatras (Νέαι Πάτραι, "New Patras"), colloquially also Patratziki, and was the capital of the Duchy of Neopatras..

The hill of the castle was fortified for the first time in the Hellenistic period. The walls were rebuilt in the 6th century, during the reign of emperor Justinian. In 869, the city is referred ad Neai Patrai (new Patra) or Neopatria (as was known by the Francs).

In 1204, after the 4th Crusade and the 1st Fall of Constantinople, the castle was captured by the Francs. In 1218 was occupied by the Greeks of the Despotate of Epirus. In 1267, it was given to Ioannis Aggelos Komninos (illegitimate son of the ruler of Epirus) who repaired the castle and founded, in 1271, the Duchy of Neopatria or Neopatras.

In 1318-1319 the Almogavars of the Catalan Company, after having conquered most of the Duchy of Athens, expanded into the territories of the Despotate of Epirus in southern Thessaly, under Alfonso Frederick, the infante of the Kingdom of Sicily. The new territories were created a duchy and united with the Duchy of Athens as new possessions of the Crown of Aragon. The Duchy was divided into the captaincies of Siderokastron, Neopatria, and Salona (modern Amfissa).

The attacks of the Byzantine Empire progressively diminished the territory of the duchy until what was left of it fell completely into the hands of the Republic of Florence in 1390.

The city was captured by the Turks in 1393.

Sources