| The Karytaina is one of the most picturesque and historic village of Arcadia. It lies 54 km from Tripoli and 20 km from Megalopolis. It is an impressive and imposing stone city and declared as a preserved settlement. It has excellent two-storey stone houses, many of them from the 19th century, former Byzantine churches, cobbled streets and paths.
Its Frankish castle, at the south of the village, built on top of the steep and imposing cliff, was one of the most important castles of the Peloponnese, during both the Franks and the Turks wars and during the revolution of 1821. The castle was built on the ruins of the ancient city Vrenthis and a Byzantine church. It was built in mid 13th century by the French ruler Godefreido de Vrigier and served as a headquarters, called "Toledo of Greece." In 1320 was occupied by the Paleologous, while at the mid-15th century was received at the hands of the Turks. Karytaina during the years of the Ottoman’s slavery became an important commercial center of tobacco, silk and wine. At the same time it formed an important administrative center. During the revolution of the 21 it played an important role in the region. Since the beginning of it, the castle was the residence of the T. Kolokotronis, who fortified it, and built a home and a church and used it as his base. Later, during his descent in Peloponnese, Ibrahim Pasha siege it, but without success. Since 1830, the Dimitsana took the place of Karytaina as the administrative center of the area, so Karytaina and the castle fell into decline. |
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