The village of Veligosti (or Samaras), the ancient Megalopolis, is a municipal district of the Municipality of Falesia. In the area you can see the ruins of a Byzantine settlement and an aqueduct as well as remains from the castle of the same name, which is located in the current cemetery of Beligosti. From 1204, the Franks conquer the Morea, divide it into 12 baronies (operated under feudal law) and build a series of Frankish castles. According to the Chronicle of Moreos, under the leadership of Godefroid I'Villardouinos in 1210-1212, after weak resistance, the castles of Beligosti, Niklio and Lacedaemonia succumbed. Godfrey, after conquering the castles, establishes the barony of Beligosti (where there was also a Latin Bishopric) divided into 4 fiefs. Belgosti fell to Baron Matthew de Walincourt (or de Mons) from the city of Mons in Belgium. In 1320, the barony of Veligosti continued to exist together with those of Patras, Vostitsa and Chalandritsa. During the Turkish occupation, however, it loses its strategic position as well as its importance as a castle and falls into obscurity.
Editor: Niki Kalopaidis