Ionion Beach Resort
Castle of Parga
Before the construction of the strong castle of Parga that survives till now, the residents of Parga were keeping their city fortified in order to confront the invaders. In 1452 Hatzi Beis took over the fortified place and Parga took it back in 1454. In 1537, Hayreddin Barbarossa demolished the fortress and the town. Before the reconstruction of the castle with the contribution of the Venetians, the Turkish demolished it once again.
In 1792, the Venetians rebuilt for third and last time a perfect strong fortress that stayed impregnable until 1819, despite the attacks especially of Ali Pasa of Ioannina, who besieges them from the castle of Agia-Anthousa.
Venetians created a perfect defence plan, which in combination with the natural fortification made the fortress.
Outside the castle, eight towers placed in different positions completed the defence. Inside the narrow space of citadel there were 400 houses, located in a way so that they occupied only a little room, far away from the seaside.
On this castle the free-besieged population of Parga and Souli fought epic battles and kept their freedom for centuries. From the faucet “Kremasma” the tanks of the castle and the houses were provided with water.
The castle for its provision used the two bays: of Valtos and Pogonia. When Parga was sold to the Ottomans, Ali Pasha enhanced it even more and put on its top its harem and its Turkish bath, improving radically the rooms of the castle.
On this castle, the free-besieged population of Parga and Souli fought epic battles and kept their freedom for centuries. On the arched gate of entrance, on the wall, you can see the winged lion of Agios Markos, the name “ANTONIO BERVASS 1764”, emblems of Ali Pasha, two-headed eagles and relative inscriptions.
Archways, gun emplacement rooms, supplies lodges, strong bastions with gun safe boxes, safe boxes of small arms, secret passage to the sea, barracks, jails, warehouses and two block-houses at the last defense line: prove the perfection of the defense plan, which along with the natural fortification made the fortress unconquered.