Chlemoutsi

Chlemoutsi, also known as Clermont, is a medieval castle located in the northwest of the Elis regional unit in the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece, near the municipality of Kastro-Kyllini. Built between 1220 and 1223 by Geoffrey I of Villehardouin, a Crusader ruler of the Principality of Achaea, the castle served as the main stronghold of the principality and represents one of the finest preserved fortifications from the early period of Frankish rule in Greece. The structure is constructed of hewn stone and sits on a small plateau 226 meters above sea level.

The castle features a distinctive hexagonal central keep built around an inner courtyard with two-storeyed halls, complemented by an outer wall that encloses a western yard. Strategically positioned near the principality's capital at Andravida and the major port of Glarentza, Chlemoutsi played a central role in the region's history, though it was never actually besieged. The fortress remained largely intact in its original 13th-century form, with only minor modifications added during Ottoman occupation for artillery platforms.

Following Byzantine control from 1427, the castle was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1460 and remained under Ottoman rule until the Greek War of Independence in 1821. During that conflict, part of the outer wall was demolished in 1825 to prevent rebel use. Today, the castle is maintained by the Greek Ministry of Culture as a preserved monument and is open to the public.