This article is about the medieval fortress in Central Greece. For the modern town in Serres Prefecture, see Sidirokastro.
Siderokastron (Greek: Σιδηρόκαστρον) was a medieval fortified settlement on Mount Oeta in Central Greece.
Siderokastron was first mentioned in the 13th century.[1] Some scholars have identified it with a place on Mount Knemis (Buchon), Delphi or Arachova (Gregorovius), or Heraclea Trachis (Neroutsos),[2] but based on the description in the Chronicle of the Morea, it is most likely to be identified with the ruined fortified settlement on a rocky plateau found on an eastern outlier of Mount Oeta, on the banks of the upper course of the Asopos River near the modern villages of Pavliani and Koumaritsi.[1] This identification was made by G. Kolias in 1933.[3]
Its name ("Iron Castle" in Greek) possibly derives from the nearby pass of Sideroporta, which gave it a certain strategic importance, as it controlled the mountain roads from the Asopos to the Boeotic Cephissus, and to Dyo Vouna.[1] It is one of the castles popularly known as "Kastro tis Orias".[1] Today it is known as "Kouvelos" (Κούβελος).[4]
It is first mentioned in 1275 as one of the castles ceded by the ruler of Thessaly, John I Doukas, to the Duchy of Athens, as the dowry of his daughter Helena Angelina Komnene. Sometime between 1318 and 1327, it was conquered by the Catalan Company, which had taken over the Duchy of Athens. Except for an (uncertain) brief occupation by Albanian raiders in 1367, it remained in the hands of various Catalan families at least up to 1382, and possibly until the Ottoman conquest of the County of Salona in 1392. After that, it lost its importance as a border fortress and was abandoned.[1]
Today the site is abandoned and accessible only on foot from Pavliani. Until World War II, large portions of the fortifications survived, but today only a few remnants of two defensive walls, running in north-south direction, survive.[1]
^ abcdefKoder & Hild 1976, pp. 256–257.
^Bon 1937, pp. 139–140.
^Bon 1937, p. 139.
^Lund University. Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire.
Siderokastron (Greek: Σιδηρόκαστρον) was a medieval fortified settlement on Mount Oeta in Central Greece. Siderokastron was first mentioned in the 13th...
exercised by a series of vicars-general. In 1318/19 the Catalans conquered Siderokastron and the south of Thessaly as well, and created the Duchy of Neopatras...
1334. Byzantines recognized Serbian gains in Ohrid, Prilep, Strumitsa, Siderokastron, Chermen and Prosek. Andronikos III meanwhile effected the recovery...
Thessalian independence came to an end, and the Almogavars occupied Siderokastron and southern Thessaly (1319) and formed the Duchy of Neopatria. The...
Metropolis of Servia and Kozani: Pavlos Papalexiou (2004–) Metropolis of Siderokastron: Makarios (Sotirios) Philotheou (2001–) Metropolis of Sisanion and Siatista:...
Metropolis of Servia and Kozani: Paulos Papalexiou (2004–) Metropolis of Siderokastron: Makarios (Sotirios) Philotheou (2001–) Metropolis of Sisanion and Siatista:...
killed in an uprising in 1362. In 1365, James seized the fortress of Siderokastron from the marshal Ermengol de Novelles, who had been declared rebel for...
Neopatras in 1319, and by 1325 had also conquered Zetounion, Loidoriki, Siderokastron and Vitrinitsa, as well as—apparently briefly—Domokos, Gardiki and Pharsalus...
grandson of Alfonso Fadrique. When his father seized the fortress of Siderokastron in 1365, Louis became its castellan, although he was underage. When...
Turks in 1394. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the fortress town of Siderokastron was also located on the eastern slopes of Oeta. The Agathonos Monastery...
County of Salona with Loidoriki and Veteranitsa, but not Zetounion and Siderokastron, which passed to James' son Louis Fadrique. James also gave the island...
the capità appeared instead of the vigeriate, but the captaincies (Siderokastron, Neopatras, and Salona) were similar to identical in function to the...
Duke of Athens (r. 1280–1287). The Duchy also acquired the towns of Siderokastron, Zeitounion, Gravia, and Gardiki as her dowry. The couple had a son...
possession of his castles at Zetouni and Gardiki and conquered Neopatras, Siderokastron, Loidoriki, Domokos, and Pharsalus. He conquered the palace of the Ducae...
remained in use until late Roman times. The ruins of the medieval town of Siderokastron are located to the east of the village. With the establishment of the...
to identify it with the later medieval settlements of Ravennika or Siderokastron, but these identifications are generally rejected as incompatible with...
Roche (r. 1280–1287), with the towns of Zetounion, Gardiki, Gravia, and Siderokastron as a dowry. In addition, the fleeing Byzantine troops were able to reach...
John Doukas's daughter Helena and receive the fortresses of Gravia, Siderokastron, Gardiki, and Zetouni as her dowry. In return, de la Roche gave Doukas...
William de la Roche, with the towns of Zetounion, Gardiki, Gravia, and Siderokastron as her dowry. In April 1277, papal legates arrived at Constantinople...
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