ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF ANTIGONIA

This vast 40-hectare site (Parku Arkeologjik i Antigonesë) is set in magnificent surroundings at the foot of Mount Çajupi (2,146 m above sea level) and stretches around a 600 m-high hill overlooking the Drino valley. It is home to the remains of the city of Antigonia (Αντιγόνεια/Antigonia in Greek) founded in 295 BC by Pyrrhus ^I (318-272 BC), nephew of Alexander the Great and king of the Greek Molossian tribe. The city was named in honor of Antigone, the late wife of this ruler, famous for the expression "a Pyrrhic victory" (so costly as to be tantamount to defeat). But it was burnt down by the Romans in 168 BC, and its population enslaved. Re-populated at the beginning of the Christian era, Antigonia was abandoned when the Slavs arrived in the ^6th century. Subsequently, several churches were built on the site until the ^11th century. The site has been excavated since 1913. The most impressive part of the remains are the defensive walls... which in no way prevent goats from crossing the site. The tour route follows the old central street. At the southern end, you'll find the best-preserved part of the fortifications and a small, trefoil-choired early-Christian church built between the^5th and ^6th centuries. Its mosaic floor is decorated with a strange representation of Saint Christopher with a dog's head. This is usually visible in summer, but covered with gravel in winter to protect it.