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Litharitsia FortressIoannina, Greece
Ali Pasha built the bastion at Litharitsia early in the 19th century, approximately 500 kilometers to the south of the larger Ioannina citadel. It was constructed as a large, many-side rampart of four stories built directly into the steep rocky outcropping, stretching to the south as an extension of the natural rock to the north. The fortresses defended points of access to the town as well as to one of Ali Pasha's palaces, built in 1807, and two serais built for his sons to the south of the fortification.
The bastion was shelled in October 1820, destroying the palaces, but leaving its military functions intact. The bastion was later used as a barracks, and is currently owned by the Society for Epirotic Studies. The land where the palaces once stood is now a park, and restoration work has been done to the upper level, which today houses a cafe, entertainment area, and conference and banquet facilities.
Sources:
Brooks, Allan. Castles of northwest Greece: from the early Byzantine period to the eve of the First World War, 275. Huddersfield: Aetos, 2013
Mikropoulos, Tassos A., ed. Elevating and Safeguarding Culture Using Tools of the Information Society: Dusty traces of the Muslim culture, 351, 394-395. Ioannina: The Educational Approaches to Virtual Reality Laboratory, University of Ioannina, 2008.
Location
Ioannina, Greece
Associated Names
Events
1815/1230 AH
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Litharitsia Bastion
Site Types
military
Keywords
Litharitsia FortressIoannina, Greece
Ali Pasha built the bastion at Litharitsia early in the 19th century, approximately 500 kilometers to the south of the larger Ioannina citadel. It was constructed as a large, many-side rampart of four stories built directly into the steep rocky outcropping, stretching to the south as an extension of the natural rock to the north. The fortresses defended points of access to the town as well as to one of Ali Pasha's palaces, built in 1807, and two serais built for his sons to the south of the fortification.
The bastion was shelled in October 1820, destroying the palaces, but leaving its military functions intact. The bastion was later used as a barracks, and is currently owned by the Society for Epirotic Studies. The land where the palaces once stood is now a park, and restoration work has been done to the upper level, which today houses a cafe, entertainment area, and conference and banquet facilities.
Sources:
Brooks, Allan. Castles of northwest Greece: from the early Byzantine period to the eve of the First World War, 275. Huddersfield: Aetos, 2013
Mikropoulos, Tassos A., ed. Elevating and Safeguarding Culture Using Tools of the Information Society: Dusty traces of the Muslim culture, 351, 394-395. Ioannina: The Educational Approaches to Virtual Reality Laboratory, University of Ioannina, 2008.
Location
Ioannina, Greece
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1815/1230 AH
Style Periods
1299-1922
Variant Names
Litharitsia Bastion
Site Types
military