Kalavryta Castle of Orias

The Castle of Orias in Kalavryta, in the Peloponnese: The medieval castle of Kalavryta is called Kastro of Orias by the locals, which means the Castle of the Beautiful Lady. It is placed upon a rocky mountain, at an altitude of 1100m. Its name is due to the incident that took place in this castle in 1463, when the beautiful Aikaterini Paleologou threw herself off the castle, in order not to be captured by the Turks.

This castle was built in 1208 by the Frankish family de Tournay, who governed the whole area of Kalavryta. Although this construction is partly ruined today, there is a large section that has remained in good condition. Note that in this castle, the Greeks shot, in March 1821, the first cannon that pointed the beginning of the Greek Revolution against the Turks. The castle can be reached to the east of Kalavryta town, about a 1-hour drive. It is found almost ruined, but the marks of the Venetian architecture are still visible.