- Type
- Castle
- Coordinates
- 39.7417°, 19.9925°
History
For centuries the area around Butrint belonged to Venice, which guarded the entrance to the Vivari Channel linking Lake Butrint to the Straits of Corfu. After the fall of the Republic in 1797 and a brief French interlude, the coast was taken over by Ali Pasha of Tepelena, the powerful, semi-independent ruler of Epirus. In the early 19th century he built a fortress at the mouth of the channel to protect shipping and the fisheries from the French and British on Corfu. After Ali's fall in 1822 the fort lost its purpose and decayed.
What to see
The fortress sits on the shore at the mouth of the Vivari Channel, a few kilometres from ancient Butrint, within the national park. Its towered walls survive, enclosing a former courtyard. It is reached by boat or on foot along the shore, and Corfu is visible from the walls. Closer to Butrint, on the far side of the channel, stands the Venetian Triangular Castle as well.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q3405245
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