The castle of Geraki was built on a low hill of the southeastern slopes of Parnon mountain, close to the modern Geraki village,39km from Sparta, by the Franks.
It was one of the most important castles of Peloponnese once, but it is in ruins today. The most notable characteristic is that many Byzantine churches are preserved, to a degree, inside and in the nearby medieval settlement.
History
After the fall of Constantinople in 1204, most of Peloponnese became a Frankish territory, the Principality of Achaea. The Franks divided it in 12 baronies. Geraki was the seat of one of them.
In 1209, Geraki was granted to the French Guy de Nivelet, who built the castle there, probably around 1250. Nivelet was the one who named it "Geraki" (Gr. for "falcon"). The place was known since antiquity as "Geronthrai".
