Vonitsa Castle: Marked by centuries of relentless rivalry

This was the reason the Castle became a point of contention among rulers of the Despotate of Epirus, the Angevins, the Orsini and the Tocco families throughout its long history. After 1479, it eventually came under Ottoman rule and was later captured by the Venetians, who left their mark through a series of repairs and renovations. In 1798, the Castle of Vonitsa passed into the hands of Ali Pasha of Ioannina.

Imposing and well preserved, the Castle is reinforced by four concentric enclosure walls. The fourth wall forms an acropolis at the top of the hill. Towers of various shapes and sizes, built during different time periods, strengthened the Castle’s defences. Today, the so-called stone-built “House of Ali Pasha” (which hosted the Albanian garrison) is home to a digital exhibition that narrates the history of the Castle.