PETRELA CASTLE
In the century, this small castle of Byzantine origin was the residence of Mamica Kastrioti, one of the sisters of the hero Skanderbeg.
This small castle of Byzantine origin (Kalaja e Petrelës) sits atop a rocky spur 329 meters above sea level, just above the village of Petrela. The setting is superb. Our only regret is that it's been taken over by a bar-restaurant - a rather mediocre one at that. However, the terraces all around the castle offer fine views over the Erzen valley as you sip your coffee. The castle is dominated by a large semicircular tower erected in the 6th century during the reign of Emperor Justinian. The ramparts forming a triangle around the tower were added between the 11th and 14th centuries, with two corner turrets. The whole complex was used to control the Krraba Pass road, which connected with the Via Egnatia. In the 15th century, the castle belonged to the powerful Muzaka Thopia family. It was part of the defense system set up against the Ottomans, along with the fortresses of Preza and Kruja. Captured in 1444, it was freed shortly afterwards by Skanderbeg and became the residence of one of his five sisters, Mamica Kastrioti, married to Karl Muzaka Thopia in 1445. The castle was taken over by the Ottomans around 1466. Deemed militarily obsolete, it was nevertheless remodeled to accommodate a small garrison. Abandoned in the early 19th century, it was restored in the 2000s to its medieval appearance. The main tower is topped by a "hourd", a corbelled wooden structure that was erected during sieges.
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