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

Map of Vonizza Vonizza (Vonitsa)         

Key dates:
1204 After the fall of Constantinople, Vonizza becomes part of the Despotate of Epirus
1472 The Turks conquer Vonizza
1684 The Venetians conquer Vonizza
1714 Second conquest by the Turks
1716 Second conquest by the Venetians
1798 Conquered by Ali Pacha of Tepeleni

Vonizza, is located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Arta (or Avramkikos Gulf), some ten miles to the east of Preveza. Because of its commanding view over the Gulf of Arta, the hill of Vonizza was fortified by the Byzantines and after them by the Turks and the Venetians.

View of the fortress
View of the Fortress from the harbour of Vonizza

Today Vonizza is a sought after location for holiday makers who enjoy sailing. The fortress shows elements of the different periods during which it was built. The entrance to the fortress is hidden behind a tower and this is typical of medieval warfare, when the attacks to the fortresses were conducted by using battering-rams against their gates. A lateral gate increased the exposure of the assailants.

Entrance to the fortress and inner walls
Entrance to the fortress and inner walls

The fortress has an inner circle of walls strengthened by round towers. There is little space between the inner and the outer walls and the inner walls are on higher ground, so that assailants who had succeeded in breaching the outer walls, were impeded in continuing their attack.

Walls of the stronghold and residence of the Governor
Walls of the stronghold and residence of the Governor

The last defence was entrusted with a stronghold where the key buildings were located.

View from the fortress
View from the fortress

As usual the view from a fortress is very rewarding of the effort made to climb to its top. The shallow and closed waters of the Gulf of Arta give the impression of being part of a lake, rather than of a sea.
Today the fortress is surrounded by prickly pears, which you can see in the background of this page.

Winged lions in the church of Vonizza
Winged lions in the church of Vonizza

The fortress, which was used by the Greek army until a few years ago, does not have any winged lion of the Venetian period, but the church at the foot of the fortress has two little reliefs showing this symbol of Venice. It is interesting to note the lion holding the cross, as this is not the traditional symbol of Venice, in which the lion holds an open book where the following words are written: Pax tibi, Marce, Evangelista meus (Peace to you, Marc, my Evangelist). The change was most likely made by the Venetians to ingratiate themselves with their Greek subjects, by enhancing the common religious faith.
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.