Leuktro Castle
| Department | Archive |
|---|---|
| Collection | Byzantine Research Fund |
| Reference No. | BRF/02/01/14/104 |
| Level | Item |
| Place |
Mani |
| Dates | 1909? |
| Donor/Creator |
Traquair, Mr Ramsay |
| Scope and Content | Distant view of the castle. The photograph is annotated in pencil at the back. |
| Further information | The area in the middle of the Peloponnese, on the Laconia/Messinia border, was known as early as the 10th c. as the ‘Mani’. It was occupied by the Slavs in the early Medieval period and was christianised in the 10th c. by Hosios Nikon. There are scores of Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches in the Mani: the first major phase of building activity in the region seems to run from the late 10th to the later 12th c. Leuktro (Beaufort) castle stands on the ruins of the ancient acropolis of Leuktra upon a hill between Stoupa and Leuktra. It was built by William Villehardouin in 1250 but was given to the Byzantines in 1262 as a ransom for William who had been kept prisoner since 1259. Its perimeter is approximately 300 metres and it was considered one of the most elaborately built and well-fortified castles of the region. |