other · Greece and the Aegean

Barony of Karytaina

1209 CE – 1320 CE (approx.) · capital Karytaina

Frankish barony in the mountains of central Peloponnese, guarded by the castle of Karytaina and celebrated through its lord Geoffrey of Bruyeres in the Chronicle of the Morea.

Origins

The barony of Karytaina, also called Skorta after its mountainous district, was created around 1209 in the Principality of Achaea and granted to Hugh of Bruyeres. With 22 knight's fiefs it was one of the largest baronies, set to control the unruly highlands of the upper Alpheios valley.

Rule and society

Hugh's son Geoffrey of Bruyeres built the castle of Karytaina on a crag above the Alpheios around 1254. He was the model knight of the Chronicle of the Morea, admired for his courage despite rebelling against Prince William II and eloping with a vassal's wife. Greek villagers and local archons held land under the barons.

Decline and legacy

After Geoffrey died in 1275 without a male heir, half the barony reverted to the prince and its fortunes declined. In 1320 Andronikos Asen, the Byzantine governor of Mistras, took Karytaina and much of Skorta, ending Frankish rule there.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Barony of Karytaina. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/barony-of-karytaina
MLA
“Barony of Karytaina.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/barony-of-karytaina. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Barony of Karytaina.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/barony-of-karytaina.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Barony of Karytaina’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/barony-of-karytaina (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻