Psilos Ai-Giorgis

Remains of fortifications are located on a rocky region (some 970 m in elevation) of Mount Lykaion, between the villages Kourounios, Kastanochori, Ano Karyes and Isoma Karyes. The fortified point allowed the supervision of a large area.

In the broader region at the feet of Lykaion exist historically interrelated remains of medieval fortifications: as a result the identification of the castle at the top of the hill has been a subject of dispute among scholars. The difficulty arises simply because the area – Skorta in the sources – has many fortifications, including the famous castle of Agios Georgios. Thus, here is to be found either the castle of Agios Georgios of the Skorta or the antikastro Beaufort (which is not the Beaufort Castle or the Castle of Leuctra in Messenia built by William de Villehardouin), known also as Castle Psilos Ai-Giorgis, the castle of Oria or the Castle Boverko. The antikastro of Psilos Ai-Giorgis has also been placed on the neighbouring tallest hill-top, called Tabouria today.

The French version of the Chronicle of the Morea presents the events of the late 13th century, showing how the two castles are connected. In the area of ​​Vervaina, at Livadi, there took place every year in mid-June a trade fair. In the year 1292 or 1296 the silk-merchant Korkodeilos and the knight Girard de Remy, feudal lord of Nemnitsas, were present: the latter insulted Korkodeilos by striking him with his spear. Then Korkodeilos, seeking revenge, and assisted by his groom Anninos, by Boniface the Commander of the garrison, as well as by Leon Mavropapas, the garrison commander of the castle of Helmos, occupied the castle of Ai-Giorgis of the Skorta (this had been built in 1292 or shortly after by Florent d’Hainault, Prince of Morea and second husband of the heiress to the principality, Isabella de Villehardouin.) When the prince learned of the occupation, he left Pontikokastro (in Elis), and on reaching the castle laid siege to it. He further fortified other places which the French Chronicle calls Spurte and Malomigny. As the siege did not bear fruit, and because the aforesaid castles were particularly exposed to the harsh weather conditions of the winter, he built Beaufort too.

For this castle we have further information around the early 14th century, when Philip of Savoy, Isabel’s third husband, imposed heavy taxes on Skorta. People of Skorta stirred up by their leaders, rebelled: they seized the nearby castles of Elis, namely Agia Eleni (Theisoa) and Creve-Coeur (castle of Linistaina) and besieged, unsuccessfully, Beaufort too, which Gratian de Boucere was defending. Castle Beaufort perhaps passed into Greek hands at the time (1320) when Castle Ai-Giorgis of the Skorta was occupied permanently by Andronicus Palaiologos Asen. There it remained until 1458/1460. Then a certain Korkodeilos, perhaps a descendant of the old one, submitting to the Turks handed over the castle to Mehmed II.

Χρονολόγηση: Frankish/Late Byzantine periods (13th-15th centuries)

The castle, judging by its few remains probably had an irregular shape and occupied a small area. From the little that remains of the castle probably two enclosures can be made out.

Two towers are preserved. A question arises: is the chapel of Agios Giorgos at the top of the hill built on the location of the central tower/keep? At Psilos Ai-Giorgis there have been identified architectural sculptural fragments, probably belonging to the Transitional centuries (7th-8th) and the Middle Byzantine period.

ΝΟΜΙΚΟ ΠΛΑΙΣΙΟ ΠΡΟΣΤΑΣΙΑΣ Ν. 3028/2002

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