Himarë Castle (Albanian: Kalaja e Himarës), locally also known as Kastro[1] is a castle in Himarë, in southern Albania.
| Himarë Castle | |
|---|---|
Kalaja e Himarës | |
| Himarë, Albania | |
 Himarë Castle | |
.svg)  Himarë Castle | |
| Coordinates | 40°07′04″N 19°43′54″E / 40.11771°N 19.73166°E |
| Site information | |
| Owner |  Albania |
| Controlled by | Chaonians (Epirus) Roman Empire  Byzantine Empire Despotate of Epirus Kingdom of Albania .svg){kind=small} Republic of Venice  Ottoman Empire Albania |
| Open to the public | Yes |
It is one of the main attractions located in the old town of Himara.[2] The Chaonian castle in Himara appears to belong to the set of the earliest Chaonian fortifications.[3] Its ancient walls probably date to the 5th-4th centuries BC.[4] There are also a number of Orthodox churches there such as Panagia Kassopitra where parts of the western side of the ancient wall are preserved inside it.[5][2]
Another church inside the castle is that of the All Saints. According to a local legend when the Greek Orthodox missionary Kosmas visited Himara in 1779, he proposed to the locals to destroy part of that church in order to build a Greek school with this material.[6]
The church of Saint Michael also inside the castle was erected during the 13th century.[7]
The old mansion of Spyros Spyromilios is also among the main attractions found inside the citadel.[2]
References
edit- ^ Tourist Guide of Himarë. Bashkia e Himares.
- ^ a b c Pantazopoulos, Giannis (28 October 2022). "Tour in the historic town of Himara". www.lifo.gr (in Greek). ligo.gr. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
η παλαιά πόλη της Χειμάρρας, στην οποία ξεχωρίζει το επιβλητικό Κάστρο... [the old town of Himare, with its imposing castle...
- ^ Cipa, 2007, p. 75
- ^ Cipa, 2007, p. 72
- ^ Cipa, 2007, p. 70
- ^ Μαμασούλα, Μαρία. "Παιδεία και Γλώσσα στον Άγιο Κοσμά τον Αιτωλό [Education and language in Saint Kosmas Aetolos works]" (PDF). University of Ioannina. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ Cipa, 2007, p. 69