Kelefas Castle #1056

Description

The castle was constructed by the Turks to exert control over the unruly Maniates. Along with the Castle of Passava to the east and Zarnata to the north, it monitored the land and sea routes into Mani.

Kelefa Castle was built around 1670 under the orders of Grand Vizier Köprülü, who dispatched 6,000 men recruited from Athens, Evia, and Nafpaktos. It is said that the castle was a reward to the pirate Liberakis Gerakaris from Mani, with the intent of causing division among the Maniates.

Hasan Pasha used Kelefa Castle as his base, and the Turks controlled it from 1670 until 1685, when the Venetians, together with their Maniate allies, captured it at the start of the Second Venetian rule in the Peloponnese.

The Venetians enhanced the fortress, turning it into one of the region's strongest castles, and appointed Bernardo Vlavi as its Provveditore. In 1715, it was handed back to the Turks by treaty but was gradually abandoned afterward.

Thus, the castle's active use lasted less than 80 years. It is sometimes linked with the legendary Castle of Maine, although this is likely incorrect.