History Chlemoutsi

map of peloponnese principal locations during late middle ages. chlemoutsi located on westernmost promontory of peninsula.

when prince william ii of villehardouin died in 1278, princely domain, princely title, went king of naples, charles of anjou, according provisions of treaty of viterbo. chlemoutsi, however, had been granted william wife, anna komnene doukaina, , retained it, along villehardouins hereditary barony of kalamata in messenia. in 1280, anna married baron nicholas ii of saint omer, lord of 1 half of thebes. latter s acquisition of of fertile lands , powerful fortress in morea , in words of french medievalist antoine bon, in addition wealth had inherited first marriage, worried king charles. on 25 september 1281, agreement reached whereby chlemoutsi , kalamata ceded princely domain in exchange half lands of deceased leonard of veroli, comprising estates in both morea (in elis , messenia) , italy. in 1290s, thomas komnenos doukas, son , successor of despot of epirus nikephoros komnenos doukas, held @ chlemoutsi hostage father s behaviour.

in c. 1311, sole surviving daughter of william ii villehardouin, margaret, sought, virtue of descent, claim principality, or @ least portion of including chlemoutsi , kalamata, angevin kings of naples had controlled since 1278. end, in february 1314 wedded daughter, isabel of sabran, ferdinand of majorca, , passed titles , claims them. returned achaea, imprisoned angevin bailli @ chlemoutsi, died in february or march 1315. ferdinand landed @ glarentza in june 1315, claiming principality angevin nominee, louis of burgundy. chlemoutsi , of elis fell rapidly under ferdinand s control, defeated , killed in battle of manolada in july 1316. remaining majorcan troops ceded fortresses held in elis , set sail home shortly after.

in 1418, glarentza , chlemoutsi passed hands of carlo tocco, began expand territories in morea @ expense of prince centurione ii zaccaria. after defeat byzantine navy in 1427 battle of echinades, however, tocco forced cede possessions despot of morea, constantine palaiologos (who become last byzantine emperor), in form of dowry daughter maddalena tocco. chlemoutsi became constantine s residence , base of operations against last major latin stronghold, city of patras, in 1428–30. castle remained in byzantine hands until captured, along rest of morea, ottoman empire in 1460. bastard son of centurione ii, john asen zaccaria, imprisoned @ chlemoutsi, managed escape in 1453 , lead rebellion against byzantine despots of morea.

the walls of chlemoutsi

with ottoman conquest, castle lost of strategic significance, although occupied venetians during ottoman–venetian war of 1463–79, , attacked knights of malta in 1620. during period of venetian rule in peloponnese (1687–1715) after morean war, served seat of fiscal district. reports of venetian governors @ time, however, dismiss chlemoutsi small in size , barely inhabited. in 1701 provveditore generale francesco grimani proposed destroyed, far sea—a vital concern maritime-minded republic—and difficult defend, , recommended glarentza, abandoned , ruined, rebuilt instead. in 1715, morea returned ottoman control, , 19th century, fortress had been deserted. in 1825, during greek war of independence, forces of ibrahim pasha of egypt took castle , dismantled portion of walls, not used greek rebels.

today castle preserved landmark, under 6th ephorate of byzantine antiquities. can visited , accessible car nearby kyllini.