Cultural Attraction // Castle | Altitude (in meters) | : | 1011 |
| Chronological Period | : | Frankish and Latin states |
| Access | : |  Dirt road  Path 4X4 |
| Accessible | : |  Moderate |
| Duration of Visit | : | 1 hour 40 minutes |
On a conical hill in Xirokampi, near the village of Agios Ioannis in Kynouria, we can see the remains of the Frankish Castle of Oria. Remains of the fortified surrounding wall, a gateway, and a tower have survived. From the castle’s tower, we will have an endless view of the coast of Kynouria as well as the springs of Lepida with its waterfalls.
In addition to the links that refer to the Tourist Object, the basic texts of third-party sources about Arcadia for Exploring Greece
The shortest way to reach the castle is the one we show on the map. Leaving Agios Ioannis on the way to [Agios Petros][TID23841], but before we pass the war memorial, we will turn left onto the dirt road that leads to the foot of the conical hill with the Castle of Oria at the top. We leave our vehicle and climb up toward the summit. There is no specific path, but the climb is relatively easy, with a relatively smooth slope. The castle is about 1,000 meters above sea level, 200 meters higher than the point where we leave our vehicle. It takes approximately 30 minutes to climb to the castle.
There are many Castles of Oria in Greece, and also in the wider Greek area of Asia Minor. In Arcadia there are two: this one in Xirokampi, and a second near the village of Tourkoleka and Chirades, also called Gardiki.
According to a popular tradition common to many medieval castles in Greece, the castle belonged to a beautiful (oraia, becoming oria) Frankish noblewoman who resisted the Turks for twelve years. Eventually the castle was captured by deceit, and the noblewoman leaped from the walls to avoid being taken captive (see also the folk song about this).
