Castle of Paramythia (St Donatos)

The castle of Paramythia is also known as St. Donatos Fortress). Until 1605 there was a homonymous temple in the castle, hence the name of the Castle. Being a fort, dominates the northeast of the modern city, at an altitude of about 600 meters. “Controls natural crossings to the valleys of Acheron and Kalamas to the west and the passage of Eleftherochori – Dodoni to the north.” “The establishment of the first fortress dates back to the Hellenistic period. Part of this ancient fortification is maintained embedded in the lower parts of the Byzantine and younger castle. In the 6th century. AD, according to historical Prokopios, Emperor Justinian A built, in place of ancient fortification, a fortress named “Agios Donatos” to protect the residents of the neighboring city of Light. At the beginning of the 15th century. The castle was the limit of the terrestrial of the Despotate of Epirus, and after the fall of Paramythia to the Turks in 1430 it refers to the official documents as Aidonat Kalesi. His habitation continues until the beginning of the 19th century, at Ali Pasha, when it is definitively abandoned. ” It is a castle with a polygonal fortification enclosure, “reinforced with towers, and acropolis in the east”. At least three different chronological phases are distinguished in its construction, and in particular we observe large limestone structures from the Hellenistic period, stones, bricks and mortar were used during the Byzantine and Argolida, Ottoman. “Four gates facilitated communication with the surrounding area. The Western Gateway was Main, which is modern the Byzantine phase of the external walls, while the Eastern, Underground, under the eastern part of the ancient wall and partly carved into the natural rock. Inside the castle, ruins of houses and various other vaulted spaces are preserved, the Ottoman domination: Tank, houses and mosque. In the eastern part of the castle, at the highest point of the hill, the Acropolis, dimensional approximately 25 x 47 m is built, separated by an internal wall reinforced with four towers. Inside it leads a ramp on the west side, which ends up on a gate. ” This is an open-air open space.