Trikorfa

Trikorfa embraces the peaks of Mount Mainalo: W-NW of Tripoli, NE of Sylimna and S-SE of Mainalo, to the west of Tripoli. The main and best preserved, strongholds are located at "Petrolakka", "Kokkinies", "Kastri", "Karvouniara" and “Agii Theodoroi". Further south of this lies another military camp at "Agios Vlassis".

The construction of the oldest defences dates back to the late 18th century, as part of the campaign organized by the Sublime Porte (the Ottoman Turks) for the expulsion of the Albanians from the Peloponnese. After the Orlov Event these were engaging in incredible violence against the Ottomans and Greeks alike. In particular, in 1777 the sultan charged the Kapudan Pasha (commander in chief of the ottoman navy)  Hassan Tzezaerli Mantaloglou to undertake an attempt. Arriving in the Peloponnese in 1779, he invited the Greeks to cooperate and even sought an alliance with the Klefts. The Albanians who had taken up quarters in Tripoli abandoned the place and tried to escape along several routes. But only a few escaped, as they were met on the way by strong Greek or Ottoman forces. One of the positions held by the Greeks under Constantine Kolokotronis was Trikorfa.

The fortified positions on Trikorfa were principally used during the siege of Tripoli, in 1821. Two of these positions were even used as camps by Demetris Ypsilantis and Theodoros Kolokotronis. Theodoros Kolokotronis himself mentioned their fortifications: On the summit of Trikorfa I fashioned a stronghold: it was the first time we came so close to the Tripolitsa, half an hour away.

In February of 1825 there landed in the Peloponnese the powerful Egyptian force under Ibrahim, who finally managed to recapture Tripolitsa. The Greeks led by Theodoros Kolokotronis began to organize themselves again in the fortified and secure positions of Trikorfa. The Turks, however, managed to take the first part of the fortifications of Trikorfa, and after a battle went on to capture the rest. Defeat in Trikorfa was a severe blow to Greeks. Indeed, the emotion and the sadness it brought to the people caught up in the struggles is reflected in folk songs.

Χρονολόγηση: Ottoman/Venetian periods (15th-19th centuries)

This set of strongholds and fortifications was built in the late 18th century; they was employed notably in 1821, during the siege of Tripoli. Stone structures, without any cement (dry-stone walls in effect), they functioned as small forts. The strongholds have survived until today in whole or part. Although often they retain their original names, their positive identifications are doubtful. Thus, "Petrolakka" is identified as the headquarters where was the camp containing the alleged "hut of Demetrius Ypsilanti". Subsidiary strongholds were placed round about in the positions of "Kikkinies", "Kastri" and "Karvouniaris", where are now to be found bits of a fort, huts and other ruins, including the alleged "hut of Theodoros Kolokotronis". At "Agioi Theodoroi" was the main camp of Theodoros Kolokotronis, with a fortification and near to the chapel of that name. South of this military encampment lies a second one known as "Agios Vlassis".

Βουνά μου, μη χιονίσετε, Κάμποι μη πρασινίστε,

και σεις, καημένα Τρίκορφα, το Μάη μην ανθίστε·

να κλαίτε για την Κλεφτουργιά, το Γιώργη Αλωνιστιώτη

και τον παπά-Τσιωνόπουλο και τον Σεντουκουμένη.

Οι μπράβοι πάνε κ' έρχονται με τ' άτια τους καβάλα,

κ' η Γιώργαινα τ΄ αγνάντευε από το παρεθύρι:

-Μπράβοι μου, που 'ν αφέντης σας, βρε που' ναι ο κυρ-Γιώργης;

-Στα Τρίκορφα εμείνανε με τ' άλλα παλληκάρια.

-Το άλογο τί τό 'στειλε, για να ρθη περπατώντας;

Τ' αφεντικό σκοτώθηκε στα Τρίκορφα, στη ράχη.

Ψιλή φωνίτσαν έβαλε όση κι αν εδυνάστη:

-Που είσαι Γιώργο, αδερφέ, και συ Τουρκοβασίκη;

Βασίλης σαν τ' αγροίκησε, στα γόνατα σηκώθη

και στο σπαθί ακούμπησε, στα Τρίκορφα να παη

σκοτώσαν την λεβεντουργιά, τους δυό καπεταναίους,

σκοτώθη ο Ταμπακόπουλος και Σεντουκομίνης,

κλαίνε μαννάδες για παιδιά, γυναίκες για τους άντρες,

κλαίει η κυρά-Κατερινιώ κ' οι δυό της συννυφάδες.

They are protected by Law 3028/2002.

The campaign to develop Trikorfa as an historic site, with the fortified positions as historical monuments, is an on-going process.

I. Giannaropoulou and T.A. Gritsopoulos (eds) (1976), Μ. Οικονόμου, Ιστορικά της Ελληνικής Παλιγγενεσίας ή Ο Ιερός των Ελλήνων Αγών, Athens, passim.

T.A. Gritsopoulos (1994), Τα χωριά του Φαλάνθου. Αλωνίσταινα. Αρκουδόρρεμα, Ζαράκοβα, Καρδαράς, Λιμποβίσι, Λυκοχία, Μανταίικα, Νταβιές, Ροεινό, Σϋλιμνα, Τσελεπάκου, Χρυσοβίτσι, Athens, passim.

Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, IA, 82;  and  IB, 143-150, 174-177.

P. Sarantakis (2006), Αρκαδία. Οι ακροπόλεις, τα κάστρα και οι πύργοι της. Σιωπηλά ερείπια μιας δοξασμένης γης, Athens, 58-59.