Chorizas fortress
| Chorizas fortress | ||
|---|---|---|
| Creation time : | Early 13th century | |
| Castle type : | Rock castle | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Place: | Agios Ioannis | |
| Geographical location | 37 ° 47 '20 " N , 22 ° 58' 51" E | |
| Height: | 690 m | |
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Fortress Chorizas ( Greek Φρούριο Χόριζας ) is a Frankish castle ruin in the Korinthia in Greece .
description
The castle is located on the highest point of a 690 m high mountain on the northern edge of the Arachneo Mountains about 2 km northwest of the village of Agios Ioannis . An oval circular wall about 200 m long surrounded an area of about 2500 m². The castle was about 70 m in west-east direction and about 50 m in north-south direction. The wall was 2.40 m thick and is still 1 to 2 m high today.
Inside the castle there was a small, rectangular citadel about 15 x 10 m. The wall here was about 1 meter thick. Both the outer wall and the citadel wall were built from roughly hewn stones measuring 0.25 × 0.25 × 0.20 m. The gaps in the masonry were filled with small stones. This wall technique was also used in the Argolic castles of Tsiristra and Kiparelli, which were built by Otto de la Roche . For this reason, the Chorizas fortress is also assigned to Otto de la Roche. Outside the castle there was a 5,40 x 12,70 m building. It is probably a warehouse.
The castle was of strategic importance as one could overlook the east of Corinthia and also control the way through the Fournias valley and thus the way from Rito via Angelokastro to Piada . This was especially important during the siege of Acrocorinth from 1205 to 1209, in order to cut off the defender Leon Sgouros from the supply. After that time it was likely abandoned soon.
designation
The medieval name of the castle is not known. Some researchers would like to recognize Mont Escouvé or Montesquieue from the Chronicle of Morea in Chorizas fortress . It is said that Mont Escouvé was built on a rocky mountain and that there was a cave below the castle. These two facts apply to the Chorizas fortress. There were also 3.80 x 3.50 m rooms on the inside of the outer wall in the castle. Possibly these are the traditional bastions . However, the castle did not control the main entrance to Acrocorinth. For this reason, most researchers stick to the equation of Penteskouphi Castle with Mont Escouvé .
literature
- Ioannis Evangelios Peppas: Μεσαιωνικές σελίδες της Αργολίδας, Αρκαδίας, Κορινθίας, Αττικής , 1990