Home

Visit Rome following 8 XVIIIth century itineraries XVIIIth century Rome in the 10 Books of Giuseppe Vasi - Le Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna The Grand View of Rome by G. Vasi The Environs of Rome: Frascati, Tivoli, Albano and other small towns near Rome A 1781 map of Rome by G. Vasi An 1852 map of Rome by P. Letarouilly Rome seen by a 1905 armchair traveller in the paintings by Alberto Pisa The 14 historical districts of Rome An abridged history of Rome How to spend a peaceful day in Rome Baroque sculptors and their works The coats of arms of the popes in the monuments of Rome Pages on a specific pope Pages complementing the itineraries and the views by Giuseppe Vasi Walks in the Roman countryside and in other towns of Latium following Ferdinand Gregorovius A Directory of links to the Churches of Rome A Directory of links to the Palaces and Villas of Rome A Directory of links to the Other Monuments of Rome A Directory of Baroque Architects with links to their works A Directory of links to Monuments of Ancient Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Medieval Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Renaissance A Directory of links to Monuments of the Late Renaissance A list of the most noteworthy Roman Families Directories of fountains, obelisks, museums, etc. Books and guides used for developing this web site An illustrated Glossary of Art Terms Venice and the Levant Roman recollections in Florence A list of Italian towns shown in this web site Venetian Fortresses in Greece Vienna seen by an Italian XVIIIth century traveller A list of foreign towns shown in this web site
What's New!

Detailed Sitemap

All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.

Map of Preveza Preveza         

Key dates:
1538 A Spanish-Venetian fleet is defeated by the Turks near Preveza (Battle of Preveza)
1684 Venetians conquer Preveza
1699 Preveza is assigned to the Turks by the peace of Carlowitz
1718 Preveza is assigned to Venice by the peace of Passarowitz
1798 Conquered by Ali Pacha of Tepeleni

Preveza is located at the tip of a narrow peninsula which closes a large internal gulf, known as Gulf of Arta or Amvrakikos Gulf. Its strategic importance was such that the town changed hands several times. In the little map at the top of the page the cartographers of the 1900 Times Atlas used for Preveza the symbol meaning fortress, because at the time Preveza was protected by three fortresses and a moat.
Two small fortresses are in town and today they are called St Andrew's and St George's castles.

St Andrew's and St George's castles in Preveza
St Andrew's and St George's castles in Preveza

The Castle of St Andrew's is located to the north of Preveza. Initially built by the Turks, the castle was improved by the Venetians at the end of the 17th century, after their first seizure of Preveza but they demolished it in 1699, when, according to the treaty of Carlowitz, they returned Preveza to the Turks, who rebuilt it in the next years.

Detail of the fortress of St Andrew
Relief in St Andrew's Castle in Preveza

A large part of the castle is preserved today but the interior is not accessible as it belongs to the Greek army (in 2002 the site looked abandoned). Some parts of it were built with materials transported from Nikopolis an ancient town, founded by Augustus and located 5 miles north of Preveza. A strange relief at one of the corner of the castle most likely came from there.
The Castle of St George's is located at the southern end of the city of Preveza. It was constructed by Ali Pacha at the beginning of the 19th century, simultaneously with the moat that surrounded Preveza. The walls were built in the same style as those of the Castle of St. Andrew's.

View of the fortress of Pantokrator
Views of the Fortress of Pantokrator

The main fortress of Preveza is called Fortress of Pantokrator after the name of a small church built on its top (it is shown in the background of this page). The fortress was built by Ali Pacha in 1807.

Details
Entrance and interior of the fortress

The fortress is located 2 miles to the west of Preveza and it is built on the coast of the Ionian Sea. The site is now abandoned and because it is very easily accessible it looks bound for a rapid deterioration.

Details of the walls. In the far distance the island of Santa Maura
Details of the walls. In the far distance the island of Santa Maura

The fortress is built on a cape which protrudes a bit from the coastline. This affords a clear view over Azio, Parga and Santa Maura. Ali Pacha made an attempt to conquer Santa Maura, but he did not reach his objective. The defence of Santa Maura can be considered the first episode of the process which led in the 1820s to Greek independence. It was the occasion of the meeting of John Capo d'Istria with Marco Botsaris, two of the key players in the future struggle for independence.

Azio (Actium)

For most tourists this is the entry airport for the region, for the military historian it's the site of the naval battle of Actium where in 31 BC Octavian's General Agrippa defeated Antony and Cleopatra in an epic clash of some 800 vessels. To celebrate this victory Octavian built a city named Nikopolis (city of victory) of which significant parts of the walls and the theatre remain. A Venetian fortress commands the entrance to the Amvrakikos Gulf.

Azio
Views of the fortress in Azio

Introductory page on the Venetian Fortresses

Map of the fortresses Corfu Butrinto Dodoni Ioanina Parga Paxi Preveza Nikopolis Vonizza Santamaura/Lefkada Asso Itaca Patrasso, Castel di Rumelia, Castel di Morea Lepanto Cefalonia Zante Navarino Calamata Castel Tornese and Glarenza Modon Corone Mistrà Malvasia Castelrosso Schiatto Scopello Alonisso Negroponte Oreo Corinto Egina Atene Hadrian's Athens Napoli di Romania/Nafplio Argo Cerigo/Kythira Tinos Micono Milo Nasso Candia/Creta Fortresses of Maina Lemno Stampalia Scio Schiro Andro Spezzia Imbro Tenedo Patmo Lero Calimno Metelino Metimno Cunda Candarli Fochies Cismes Argentiera Sifno Serifo Paris Antiparis Siro Rhodes Coo Castel S. Pietro Lindos Nissiros Symi Castelrosso (Kastelorizo) The Asklepeion of Kos Santorino Folegandros Afrodisias Ephesus Kale Sultanieh Kilitbahir Pergamum Sardis Seddulbahir Roman Smyrna Delphi Priene Miletus Didyma Iasos Euromos Milas default - Corfù
Clickable map: hover on the dots

On the Ionian Islands:     Corfù (Kerkyra)     Paxo (Paxi)     Santa Maura (Lefkadas)     Cefalonia (Kephallonia)     Asso (Assos)     Itaca (Ithaki)     Zante (Zachintos)     Cerigo (Kythera)
On the mainland: Butrinto (Butrint)     Parga     Preveza and Azio (Aktion)     Vonizza (Vonitsa)     Lepanto (Nafpaktos)     Atene (Athens)
On Morea:     Castel di Morea (Rio), Castel di Rumelia (Antirio) and Patrasso (Patra)     Castel Tornese (Hlemoutsi) and Glarenza     Navarino (Pilo) and Calamata     Modon (Methoni)     Corone (Koroni)     Braccio di Maina, Zarnata, Passavà and Chielefà     Mistrà     Corinto (Korinthos)     Argo (Argos)     Napoli di Romania (Nafplio)     Malvasia (Monemvassia)
On the Aegean Sea:     Negroponte (Chalki)     Castelrosso (Karistos)     Oreo     Lemno (Limnos)     Schiatto (Skiathos)     Scopello (Skopelos)     Alonisso     Schiro (Skyros)     Andro (Andros)     Tino (Tinos)     Micono (Mykonos)     Siro (Syros)     Egina (Aegina)     Spezzia (Spetse)     Paris (Paros)     Antiparis (Andiparos)     Nasso (Naxos)     Serifo (Serifos)     Sifno (Syphnos)     Milo (Milos)     Argentiera (Kimolos)     Santorino (Thira)     Folegandro (Folegandros)     Stampalia (Astipalea)     Candia (Kriti)
Genoese Bases:     Metelino (Mytilini)     Metimno (Molyvos)     Cunda (Alibey)     Fochies (Foca)     Candarli     Cismes (Cesme)     Scio (Chios)
Fortresses of the Knights of Rhodes:     Lero (Leros)     Calimno (Kalimnos)     Coo (Kos)     Castel S. Pietro (Bodrum)     Symi     Nissiros     Rhodes (Rodos)     Lindos     Castelrosso (Kastelorizo)     Other fortresses
Ottoman fortresses:     Imbro (Gokceada)     Tenedo (Bozcaada)     Seddulbahir     Kale Sultanieh (Canakkale)     Cilitbahir
Other locations shown in the map:     Patmos     Dodoni (Dodona)     Nikopolis     Hadrian's Athens     Pergamum     Roman Smyrna     Sardis (Sart)     Ephesus     Afrodisia     Delphi     Ioanina    Kos    Priene    Miletus    Didyma    Iasos    Euromos    Milas

You may refresh your knowledge of the history of Venice in the Levant by reading an abstract from the History of Venice by Thomas Salmon, published in 1754. The Italian text is accompanied by an English summary.