Karytaina or Karitaina, The Castle City of Moriah
Karytaina is a featured traditional settlement of Municipality. Gortynos, N. Arcadia. Located in the heart of Moria, in place ancient Vrenthis. It is from Athens 214 km, from Tripoli 54 km and 20 km from Megalopolis. It is built on the slope of Achreiovouni hill or St. Elias at an altitude of approximately 500 m and looks fertile valley Alpheus river.
CASTLE Karytaina
S.the top of the hill Castle Karytaina, which was built in the early years of the Franks (13The c.). The construction of the castle is attributed to the first Baron of Karytaina Hugo de Brigier (Hugh Brruyere) while his son, Geoffrey de Brigier (Geoffroy Brruyere), called the Castle district «Toledo, Greece».
The length of the wall is 110 m, width of about 40 m and its height is up to 7m.
The wall is preserved in good condition but the interior of the castle there are unfortunately only ruins. ND side will see a large building with many openings that once was probably the residence of Baron.
THE N. Kazantzakis mentioned characteristics « ... I look Castle Karytaina and feel the soul of real living person standing up there upright and viglizei. Later, Much later, after winning, will come the new joy and new balancing. Today, when a little shaken by the drunkenness of the ancient beauty, we feel the Castle Karitena expresses faithfully and to minors terrible dot»,from the book "Landscapes and Castles of the Morea ', 1960.
During the Revolutionary period 1821 the castle played an important role as Theodoros Kolokotronis the 1826 repaired to use it as a base against Ibrahim (1826-1827). In climbing to the Castle there is the statue of Kolokotronis, next to the house who lived during the Revolution (1821-1827) and the small church Our Lady of the Castle, which is said to worship the Old Man of the Morea. It belongs to the type of dikioniou cruciform domed, the north side adjacent to the rock hill.
in A. Castle survives and has recently been restored, The Tower Leventainas, Ottoman building and Matzouranogianni tower. At the foot of the eastern side of the Castle, there is a temple dedicated to Annunciation and Zoodochos Source. Formerly the courtyard of the temple served as a cemetery for this there are several graves.
Near the church are the remains of St. Athanasius Christianoupoleos house, patron Karitena, who was Bishop Christianoupoleos and celebrated on 17 May.
At the entrance of Karytaina, near City Hall, there is a church dedicated to the memory of Agios Athanasios Christianoupoleos, which was built in 1905 -1910 by architect Aristotle Zachos, who in 1909-1911 He designed the church in St. IM. Baptist, River Lousios. In the northwest of the castle there is the post-Byzantine Church of St. Nicholas (17The c.). In the church one can admire the surviving frescoes, the Pantocrator in the dome, the wooden temple.
The Cathedral of the village is the Church of the Annunciation (1868), dimensions 22m X15 Ch18m, with the impressive bell tower.
Features attractions are the famous arched bridges, like the Meliki Bridge and the Bridge of Koukou, below which flow the Alpheus river, length 112 km,
OR Bridge Alpheus or bridge Meliki, Byzantine architecture monument, in length 50 m and 5 bows. Founded in the era of the Franks but after physical damage or earthquake, destroyed and rebuilt by Raul Manuel Meliki (1440), according to an inscription found in the western parapet. A large part of the bridge was destroyed during the Civil War. On the west side of the bridge, built small church, type aisled basilica, where to St. Athanasius Christianoupoleos time was dedicated to the Epiphany today at Nativity of the Theotokos.
The Bridge of Koukou, classified as a monument constructed at the narrowest point of the river Alpheus, near the area "three Alonia" of the village Maratha or Vlachorrafti. built in 1880 by master builder Antoni Katsaino, from Lagkadia region and is a semi-circular arched bridge, length 20 m, latitudinal 4 m and height 34 m. The name comes, according to tradition, by a man with the name Cuckoo, who over brawl killed godfather Brahimi because he stole an animal.
Karytaina In addition to a visit to the Byzantine churches one can walk the cobbled narrow streets, see the Primary School, which was built in the years of Kapodistrias, admire the stone houses made in accordance with the architecture of the area, with upper floor and basement, Spolati the fountain at the entrance of the village (1922), Cave Kavita, on the banks of the Alpheus and the waterfall Vrontos in Cuckoo Bridge.
The area has many accommodations, traditional guesthouses, taverns and cafes where visitors can taste traditional food and buy local products, as chestnuts, honey, noodles, Dairy Products.
ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES
the brick Bridge Karytaina - Atsicholos, River Lousios, It is 3 km from Karytaina and is suitable for various sports activities. From Atsicholos routes start for rafting, rapper, kayak, trekking etc. which cross the river Lousios (7 km) and after an exciting descent, leading through the gorge of Alpheus, the Bridge of Koukou.
If someone wants to continue on foot is slightly below, about 10 minutes walking, impressive waterfall Vrontos, waters which fall from height 17 m. The cost of the descent costs about 50 € with the equipment and return to the starting point by coach. The degree of difficulty is medium path. There are two other downhill tracks, Bridge Atsicholos to Theisoa (10 km) or Matesis (16 km) of Law. Ilia.
Marathi VLACHORRAFTIS
Going NW Karitena (15 km), meet the village Maratha or Vlachorraftis, as the locals call, name taken from a Vlach, Tailoring pastoral laundry area, that protokatoikise here 1600 A.D.
Originally the village was in position Marathia, on the right bank of the river Alpheus, near Bridge of Koukou. In Revolution 1821 the villagers actively participated. The village with small stone houses, It is characterized as a traditional settlement.
It is worth visiting the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1870 -1075), which was built by Antonis Katsaino, the craftsman who built the Bridge of Koukou, the Church of St. Demetriou (18th ), the Former Elementary School (1859), the Fountain of Rachi (1934), the old aqueduct position, the down Faucet etc..
Here, because the origin of the family of industrialists Angelopoulos, bust Panagiotis Angelopoulos, great benefactor of the area.
ANCIENT GORTYS
Just outside the village Atsicholos, the valley is on the right bank of the river Lousios, in altitude 350 m. spread the Ancient Gortys. Access is from the Greek village (6 km) and the Bridge of Kokkori. According to mythology, the name comes from Gortys, Stymfilou son and great grandson of Arcadia.
From the excavations here (1950-1956) They found two fortified enclosures, external (360 B.C.) and inner (220 B.C.).
The Asklepion Ancient Gortyna It consisted of two temples dedicated to Asclepius and intermediates of these temples were the famous thermal Baths of Asklepios. Pausanias says 335 B.C. when Alexander the Great arrived in Ancient Gortys dedicated to Asklepios thorax and his spear, the tip of which extant.
Next to the archaeological site of Gortyna is the Cathedral of St. Andreas, built the 9The or 10The century. on the Roman building ruins. THE Lucius river called Gortynia, the area of Ancient Gortyna until its confluence with the Gorge Alpheus. According to mythology there the Nymphs, Theisoa, Neda and Agno They bathed the small Zeus from where it got its name
The stone Bridge of Kokkori, arch, with Islamic elements, connects the two banks of Lucius and serves to date the Greek village.
MONASTERY Reeds
Located near the village Atsicholos (3,5 km) built on the steep right bank of the gorge of Lucius. Probably named after the many reeds that exist even today in area, because the river. It consists of two temples to Convent (1705), wedged in a rock cavern, from any saved some of the old cells and Nea Moni (1730 ), built close to the west of the Old.
Nea Moni belongs to type four-columned registered cruciform with a dome and preserved in good condition the Catholic monastery. The New Monastery frescoes is excellent, works two brothers, of Peter and Michael Pediotis, painters from Crete. Stand out the frescoes of the Presentation, Baptism, Supper, of the Second, the Akathist Hymn etc.. The monastery is female, dedicated to the Assumption, celebrate the 15 August and a dependency of IM. Baptist.
useful information
MUNICIPALITY GORTYNOS, seat Karytaina : 2791031214
IM. reed : 27950-81520
Trekking Hellas ARCADIA tel. base Vlachorraftis: 2791025978 Postal address: Anaxagoras 5, Tripoli
