Saflaouro Castle

Saflaouro Castle occupies the summit of a high rock between Lantzounato and Paleokastro in Trifylia, Messinia, in the southwestern Peloponnese. A Frankish fortification raised in the closing years of the thirteenth century, it is probably the castle of the Saviour, or Saint Sauver, that appears in contemporary records. Nicolas Le Maure held it as its first lord in 1297. The castle passed through the usual turbulent centuries of the region, and in 1428 it was among the forts surrendered to Constantine Paleologos, then Despot of Mystras. The structure itself is arranged on two levels, with the upper one surviving in noticeably better shape. Its plan is rectangular, guarded by four towers, though the overall condition today is rather poor. What remains gives a clear sense of a compact, defensive Frankish stronghold, perched high above the surrounding Messinian countryside, rather than a grand residence.

Heritage data from Wikidata, compiled and verified in the Atika atlas.