Porto Palermo Castle, Himarë, Albania

Porto Palermo Castle was probably built by the Venetians as it could be relieved by sea and it has the same triangular plan with round towers found in the Venetian fort at Butrint. At that time the identity of its builders ought to have been clear, from a plaque above the entrance gate. This plaque is now missing but the weathering of the stones clearly shows that it has not been missing for many decades. Almost certainly this plaque had a carving of the lion of St. Mark. The most plausible explanation of the error found in the guide books is a rewriting of history in the communist period. Re-ascribing a colonial legacy to construction by an Albanian fits a nationalist isolationist agenda.

The castle would have been vulnerable to cannon fire from the hill above and this also suggests an early date for its construction when cannon had not developed the range they had later. In 1662 the Venetians feared the Turks would recondition it. In 1803 Ali Pasha offered the castle and port to the Royal Navy. At which time the fort only had 4 or 5 cannon implying that Ali Pasha did not see the fort as important for him.

References:

panacomp.net

Castles and fortifications in Albania

User Reviews

Caterina Tosi (5 years ago)
A must see place in Albania. Should be better maintained for its conservation and to facilitate the visit

Diol (5 years ago)
Beautiful castle with a very interesting history. The view was amazing. Its only 100 Lek!

Sandra Riffel (5 years ago)
Great view and castle to walk around! Good for a quick stop.

Arminas Zilaitis (5 years ago)
The fortress is an interesting historical artifact, however information inside about the object is limited. The rooms of fortress are hollow, however the views from the top are amazing. Its worth a visit for sure. There is a beach with very food infrastructure, and crystal clear water. Very beautiful place for relaxation and a bit of history learning :)

Gerta Dervishi (5 years ago)
Historical place with a strategic location. Amazing view from the roof. The beach nearby is very nice. I loved spending there a couple of hours.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Mark1792

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.

Porto Palermo Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historical Gems of Costa Verde

Historic Site of the week

Rosenborg Castle