Kalamata Castle

The imposing Castle of Kalamata stands on a hill above the historic centre of the city. In the 6th century AD, a church was built in the original castle devoted to Virgin Mary. An icon of Virgin Mary in the church became famous as Kalomata (meaning 'beautiful eyes'). This later evolved to Kalamata which became the name of the church, the castle and the city.

The current castle was built in the 13th century and is one of the numerous castles constructed in the Peloponnese by the Franks, who were seeking to establish their dominance over the widest possible range.

The castle was granted by William Champlitte to Geoffrey I Villehardouin, from the prominent Villehardouin family, who founded the principality of Achaia. Geoffrey expanded and fortified the castle, something that was deemed necessary, since over the centuries it was brutally attacked many times; by the Slavs in 1293, the Venetians in 1685 and the Turks in 1825.

Between 1685 and 1715 the castle was in Venetian hands. In the 18th century it lost its strategic importance and by the beginning of the 19th century the castle was abandoned. In 1825 the castle and the whole town was heavily destructed by the army of Ibrahim Pasha.

Today, there are still remnants of the fortification in various sites, a section of the defensive tower and an area covered by a small dome, which has been identified as the ruins of a church.

References:

• kastra.eu

Address

Spartis 28, Kalamata, Greece

Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in Greece