The Cape of Rodon or Cape of Skanderbeg ( or ''Kepi i Skenderbeut'') is a rocky
cape
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used th ...
on the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
north of
Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...
, Albania.
On the cape is the
Rodoni Castle
The Rodoni Castle or Skanderbeg Castle () is a castle in Albania. Rodoni Castle is at an elevation of .
Overview
Rodoni Castle is on the Cape of Rodon. After the victorious First Siege of Krujë the League of Lezhë decided to increase the for ...
, built by
Skanderbeg
Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanians, Albanian Albanian nobility, feudal lord and military commander who led Skanderbeg's rebellion, a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, ...
in 1463,
and
Saint Anthony Church. Further south in the bay between the cape and Rrushkull Reserve there exist several beach resorts like “Lura” and “San Pietro Resort”, gathering a considerable amount of tourists during the summer months.
Name
The name ''Redon'' appears in
ancient
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...
inscriptions found in
Santa Maria di Leuca
Santa Maria di Leuca, often spelled simply Leuca is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Castrignano del Capo, in the Salento peninsula (Apulia), southern Italy.
A part of the town once belonged to the ''comune'' of Gagliano del Capo.
The territo ...
(present-day
Lecce
Lecce (; ) is a city in southern Italy and capital of the province of Lecce. It is on the Salentine Peninsula, at the heel of the Italian Peninsula, and is over two thousand years old.
Because of its rich Baroque architecture, Lecce is n ...
), and on coins minted by the
Illyrian city of
Lissos, suggesting that he was worshipped as the guardian deity of the city, and probably as a sea god. The fact that Redon was always depicted on coins wearing a
petasos
A petasos () or petasus (Latin) is a broad brimmed hat of Thessalian origin worn by ancient Greeks, Thracians and Etruscans, often in combination with the chlamys cape. It was made of wool felt, leather, straw or animal skin. Women's versions ha ...
demonstrates a connection with travelling and sailing, which led historians to the conclusion that Redon was the deity protector of travellers and sailors. Indeed, the inscriptions of Santa Maria di Leuca were carved by the crews of two Roman merchant ships manned by Illyrians.
[; ] Inscriptions mentioning Redon were also found on coins from the Illyrian cities of
Daorson
Daorson was the capital of the Illyrian tribe of the Daorsi (Ancient Greek Δαόριζοι, Δαούρσιοι; Latin ''Daorsei''). The Daorsi lived in the valley of the Neretva River between 300 BC and 50 BC. They came very early into contact w ...
and
Scodra, and even in archaeological findings from
Dyrrhachium after the establishment of a
Roman colony
A Roman (: ) was originally a settlement of Roman citizens, establishing a Roman outpost in federated or conquered territory, for the purpose of securing it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It ...
there. His name keeps on being used in the Albanian ''Kepi i Rodonit'', which could be analysed as an
Illyrian sanctuary dedicated to the god of the sailors in the past.
See also
*
Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast
The Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast ( — ) stretches in the south-eastern Adriatic Sea beginning at the Gulf of Drin in the north, across the port cities of Shëngjin, Durrës, and Vlorë, to the Bay of Vlorë in the south, where the Albania ...
*
Biodiversity of Albania
For a small country, Albania is characterised by a considerable wealth of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and habitats with contrasting floral, faunal, and fungal species, defined in an area of 28,748 square kilometres. Most of the country is ...
*
Geography of Albania
Albania is a country in southeastern Europe that lies along the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, with a coastline spanning approximately . Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, it is one of the most mountainous countries in Europe. It is bounded by Monten ...
*
Protected areas of Albania
Despite being a relatively small country, Albania is exceedingly rich in biodiversity. Its ecosystems and habitats support over 5,550 species of vascular and non-vascular plants and more than 15,600 species of coniferous and non-coniferous ev ...
Sources
Citations
Bibliography
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cape of Rodon
Bays of Albania
Headlands of Albania
Bays of the Mediterranean
Bodies of water of Albania
Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast
Illyrian Albania