Castle of Mila
The Castle of Mila is built at an altitude of 295 meters and is located 2-3 kilometres northeast of the homonymous village. It is 7 km from Meligalas and the view from the spot is amazing. It is built at a point of strategic importance for controlling the Messinian Gulf in the north. The Castle was built during the Frankish occupation and is in relatively good condition.
The purpose of the Castle was to strengthen the Franks' defence against the expansive dispositions of the Greeks of the Despotate of Moreas. It is identified with the Chateaux Neuf, which is said to have been founded by Isabelle de Villehardouin, the famous Princess Izabo. During a short time, she held the throne of the Principality of Achaia alone (1297-1301). A second version, supported by many, wants the Castle to have been built by Nicollo Acciaiuoli from 1338 to 1341. According to A. Blouet, unlike other Frankish castles in the interior of Messinia, the Castle of Mila was also used by the Turks and was abandoned in 1825. Here, in fact, Theodoros Kolokotronis fought against the Turks, exempting the villagers from the tithe tax.
The Castle is trapezoidal in plan and has two fortifications. Most likely, the inner courtyard was a residential area and was reinforced along its perimeter with three quadrilateral towers. The high two-storey towers are typical of a late Frankish era and are particularly reminiscent of the surviving western, square tower of the Androusa Castle. One side of the fortification was occupied by a large (probably two-storey) building. The outer courtyard is preserved only at the level of foundations. The outer wall of the fort and its bastions no longer exist, since, as it seems, they were used as a building material for the residential needs of the village. The entrance of the Castle is located on the north side, while inside the Castle the existence of an underground tunnel is mentioned. According to tradition, the tunnel ends at the church of Vrachopanagitsa, on the banks of the river "Xasteros" (Lefkasia).