Kaninë Castle () is a
castle
A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
in the village
Kaninë
Kaninë is a settlement in the Vlorë County, southwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vlorë. It is home to the Kaninë Castle.
Name
According to one theory, a fort which Procopius identifies ...
near
Vlorë
Vlorë ( ; ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, third most populous city of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surr ...
, in southwestern
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
.
History
Kaninë Castle was built in the village with the same name which is located about from Vlorë. The castle rises on the side of the Shushicë Mountain, about above sea level. It was built on the site of an ancient settlement, one of the oldest in the Vlora region. The castle is believed to have been erected in the 3rd century B.C. In the 4th century A.D. the castle was transformed into a fortress town. In the 6th century A.D. the castle was reconstructed by
Justinian I
Justinian I (, ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 527 to 565.
His reign was marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovatio imperii'', or "restoration of the Empire". This ambition was ...
. The castle was the center of the
Principality of Valona
The Principality of Valona and Kanina, also known as the Despotate of Valona and Kanina, Principality of Valona or Principality of Vlorë (1346–1417) was a medieval principality in Albania, roughly encompassing the territories of the modern coun ...
in the 14th century.
Kanine
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The settlement covers an area of 3.6 hectares.
Gallery
See also
* Vlore
*List of castles in Albania
This article lists the castles and fortifications of Albania. There are a total of 158 castles and fortifications in the country that have achieved the status of monument of cultural heritage. The English equivalent for ''Kala'' in Albanian is ''F ...
*Tourism in Albania
Tourism in Albania has been a key element of the country's economic activity and is constantly developing. Albania is characterized by its rich archaeological and cultural heritage dating back to the classical period when Illyrians and Ancie ...
References
Sources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanine Castle
Buildings and structures completed in the 3rd century BC
Castles in Albania
Buildings and structures in Vlorë
6th-century fortifications