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Apolonija
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Place
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The Town of Apollonia was founded in the year 588 B.C. by Greek settlers from Korfu and Korinth. After an earthquake altered the river Vjosë in the 4th century and the repeated invasions of the 4th and 5th century the town got ruined. The extenisve privileges the town received during Roman rule allowed the development of many development and a bishop's see. In the 9th century the Shën Meri Monastery was founded on the territory of the now deserted town. (AA I, 14 (3); AA I, 528 (156-157); JG LT DIPL., 671 - episcopus civitatis Appoloniae, De la Polina, Apud Apolloniam).
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Berat
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Place
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Berat was probably founded by king Kassander of Macedonia and named after his father Antipatros. Theodosias II renamed the city to Pulcheropolis. The walls of the town were renovated by Justinian and extended with towers. After the Bulgarian conquest in the year 860, the town was named Beligrad/Belograd from which the name Berat derived. Berat was reintegrated into the Byzantine Empire in the year 1018. The lower towns were fortified in the medieval age. After the Fourth Crusade in 1204 Berat became a part of the Despotate of Epirus and it's capital. Michael II gave Berat to Manfred of Hohenstaufen; after his death it formed part of the Regnum Albaniae. In 1280-81 the region and Berat became again part of the Byzantine Empire and lost in 1345 to Stefan IV Dušan. In the year 1417 Berat was conquered by the Ottomans, who then built the citadel, the lower town and a bazar. During his rebellion, Skanderbeg unsuccessfully besieged Berat (AAI, 55 (13-14) - ad episcopatum Belogradensem; GČ KNS, 87 (48-49) - de Belgrado).
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Dyrrhachion
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Place
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The town of Dyrrhachion was one of the most important Byzantine strongholds in the Adria from the 6th century to the 12th century. The importance of Dyrrhachion lied in the fact, that it was one of two adriatic heads (the other one was Apollonia) of the Via Egnatia. According to Šufflay, Dyrrhachion is the nucleus of the other fortresses in Northern Albania. The emperors Anastasios, Justin and Justinian issued many building and also the refortification and renovation of the fortifications after the retreat of the Ostrogoths and an earthquake in 518. From the 12th century on until 1501 the town was under changing Byzantine, Norman, Epirotes, Anjou Sicilly, Albanian and Venetian rule. In the year 1394, the Venetians again renewed the fortifications and built a canal to dry the swamps of Balta and transform the peninsula of Dyrrhachion into an island similar to Zara and Trau. The Ottomans conquered the town in 1501. (AA I, 80 (27) - Dalmatia et Dyrrhachio; LjS PP., I, 113 (109) - Duka Drački).
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Fortification of Selo
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Place
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The fortified settlement of Selo was abandoned during the time of the Roman Empire, but was resettled in the 6th century after the Slavic invasion.
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Hadrianopolis
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Place
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The town of Hadrianopolis was abandoned in the 4th century during the Goth invasion of Epirus and resettled and refortified in the 6th century.
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Himara
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Place
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Himara was first mentioned as Chimaera by plinius in the 2nd century BCE. In the 6th century, the fortified settlement of Himara was mentioned by Procopius. The town was part of the archdiocese of Naupaktos in the 9th century, and in the 10th century it became part of the archiocese of Ohrid. During the War between the Normans and Byzantines Himara was an important Byzantine military base. As many other towns in Albania also Himara was ruled by the Anjou in the aftermath of the fourth crusade. In 1338-1339, Himara was supporting Andronikos III. King Alfonso V sent Catalans to Himara to defend the town against the Ottomans. The Ottomans got sovereignty over Himara in 1479 because of the peace treaty with Venice, only to loose the town to Skanderbeg. After the Ottomans defeated Skanderbeg, they destroyed the castle of Himara.
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Kanina
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Place
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The fortified settlement of Kanina was first mentioned in Procopius' De Aedificiis as Kionin. However, archeological excavation suggest a settlement already in the 3rd century BCE. The fortification had been renovated under the rule of Justinian. Kanina became an ecclesiastical and regional center in the Gulf of Valon in the 9th or 10th century and was designated a bishopric around 1019. The settlement was as part of the Thema of Jericho also the site of battles between the Norman and Byzantine armies, as described by Anna Comnena. The settlement was conquered by the Normans. After the dismantling of the Bishopric of Vlora Kanina became its successor. Kanina became part of the Kingdom of Sicily during the reign of King Manfred of Hohenstaufen (*1232; † 26th of February 1266), and after his death it became part of the realm of Charles of Anjou. In 1284 Kanina again became a part of the Byzantine Empire. In 1345 the Serbian king Stefan Uroš IV Dušan conquered the region, followed by the Albanian prince Balsha II († 18th of September 1385) in 1372. 1395 the successor of Balsha II tried to sell Kanina to the Venetians for 7000 ducats, this endevour was only successful in 1400. But already in 1417 Kanina became part of the Ottoman Empire. Kanina is economical and political closely connected to Vlora (AA I, 71 (23); KJ Sp., XI, 33 (47); HI SDSArv., 33 - ad partes Canninae; u kulě Kaninьskom; vilayet-i Kaina).
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Melan
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Place
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The fortified settlement of Melan was refortified during the 4th century.
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Orikos
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Place
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The fortified settlement of Orikos was refortified between the 4th an 6th century. The latest findings were coins minted during the reign of Constantine VII Porphyrogenetos (913-959).
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Pogradec Fortress
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Place
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The Podgradec fortress was built in the 4th century BCE and was, according to pottery findings, used until the 6th centure CE.
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Selcë e Poshtëme
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Place
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The fortified settlement was refortified during the 4th century. The settlement also contains several erlier tombs.
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Skadar
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Place
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The town of Skadar was founded in the 4th century BCE. Skodra was in hellenistic times part of a Koinon and also the residence of the last Illyrian king. Under Roman rule Skadar became an oppida and an administrative center for the region. In the 3rd or 4th century and also in the 5th century under Justinian the walls of Skadar were rebuilt. During the medieval age the medieval town separated itself somewhat from the ancient town core, which became the town quarter of Ajasma. In 1040 Skadar became part of the Serbian realm. Manuel I Comnenos integrated Skadar in the year 1160 into the Byzantine Empire and made it the capital of the Thema of Dalmatia. 1184 Skadar became again part of the Serbian Kingdom and in 1215 of the Despotate of Epirus. In 1355 Albanian nobles declared their independence, but fell in 1396 under Venetian sovereignty. The Venetians built in 1416 the three walled defensives around the town and renovated the fortifications between 1461 and 1474. In 1479 Skadar was conquered by the Ottoman. (FŠ LPD., 310; VM Lj.,58; VĐ ŽSN., 31 - civitatem Scodarim; Rosafь grad' rekomyi Skьdrь).
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