The castle has two gates, one to the northwest end protected by a massive circular tower and the second to the east, accessed from the top of Astros Beach. Its fortified enclosure is up to 6 meters high and features mainly lanes on the east side, while openings on the south side have openings for firearms. On the top of the peak are ruined warehouses, water tanks and the three houses of Zafiropoulos.
The first house, by Panagiotis Zafiropoulos, has a rectangular plan and is built on the foundations of an older building.
The second, by Konstantinos Zafeiropoulos, has four apartments, utility rooms, a toilet and cisterns. The ones for which we do have information are the three houses built in the interior by the Zafiropoulos brothers, who had returned from abroad in order to help out in the Greek Struggle for Independence. The Castle of Paralio Astros is situated on the top of Nissi hill, which towers over the port.
It was built in AD by Prince William Villehardouin, who called it Castello della estella owing to the star shape of the peninsula that inspired the name of the region; Astros meaning star. This is a castle with a four-sided floor plan, with one of the towers and part of the fortification surviving. There is evidence of activity during ancient times in the area around the castle. Remains of a wall from the classical period are visible on a hill, which the Aiginites started to build but did not complete.
The area has also been identified as the so-called Geneon Pedion, where according to Pausanias, the most important battles between the Argives and the Lacedaemonians took place, for the conquest of the Valley of Thyrea and for the general dominance of Kynouria. The castle also played an important role during the period of Turkish occupation as a powerful centre for defence. There is reference of a charge by Ibrahim that was successfully repelled. During the Greek Revolution, the brothers Zafeiropouloi, rich merchants from abroad, decided to return home and participate actively in the struggle for the liberation of Greece.
They chose the castle as the place where they would set up base, which they repaired, while they built their three residences in its interior. The first, the residence of Panos Zafeiropoulos whom they called akouros because he had sworn not to cut his hair and beard until the homeland was free has a rectangular floor plan and is built on the foundations of an older building.
The interior was divided by wooden partition walls. Constantinos Zapheiropoulos residence: It contains four compartments attached to the south wall of the castle and had auxiliary rooms, a latrine, and cisterns. Ioannes Zapheiropoulos residence: It is preserved in bad condition but the whole structure is similar to Constantinos Zapheiropoulos' residence.
Ruins of many more buildings of unknown function and date are preserved inside the castle. Hide map.
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