Chrysa Savvidou

The castle of Chlemoutsi, or Clermont, to give it its original name, occupies a strategic site on a rocky elevation, from which it dominates the entire valley of Elis and protects Andravida, the capital of the principality of Achaia. At the same time, it is only three kilometres from the coast and overlooks the Ionian sea from Zakynthos to Lefkada and the coast of Aitoloakarnania. It provided security for the well-known commercial harbour of Glarentza, since it secured control of an area that was the centre of the Frankish possessions in the Morea and experienced great prosperity and renown at the time of the Villehardouins. Despite the fact that the natural site it occupied had always been of great importance, the first castle was built at the time of the Frankish conquest of the Peloponnese.