Venetian Triangular Castle

The Venetian Triangular Castle, locally known as Kalaja Trekëndore Venedikase, lies south of the town of Ksamil, in the county of Vlorë in Albania. It is sometimes also known as Vivari Castle (Kalaja e Vivarit).

The castle is situated on the left bank of a natural channel which connects Lake Butrint to the Ionian Sea and is part of the Butrint National Park. On the opposite bank of the channel, on a hilly peninsula, is an archaeological park of the ancient Greek-Roman city of Buthrotum. The archaeological park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The channel is officially called the Vivari Channel but is more commonly known as the Butrint Channel. Opposite the mouth of the channel lies the Greek island of Corfu.

The Venetians built the Venetian Triangular Castle during the late 15th century. They had acquired the town of Butrint, along with the island of Corfu, in 1386, but, as they were more interested in Corfu, Butrint fell into decline. It was primarily built to protect the fishery in the lake and the channel.

By 1572, the wars between Venice and the Ottoman Empire had left Butrint ruinous. The Venetians then moved their administration to the triangular castle. The area was lightly settled afterward, occasionally being seized by the Ottoman Turks in 1655 and 1718, before being recaptured by the Venetians.

In the late 18th century, the area was briefly a French dominion. The castle was then destroyed by a retreating French army in 1798 to prevent it from falling into the hands of Ali Pasha. Ali Pasha of Ioannina was an Albanian ruler who ruled as a very autonomous and quasi-independent Ottoman pasha. He took control over the area in 1799 and apparently used it as a 2nd residence until 1820. After that period, it seems to have been abandoned and fallen into ruin.

The Venetian Triangular Castle is freely accessible. A nice castle. This area, however, is really a must-see. The archaeological park of Butrint, which is great in itself, also includes 2 additional fortifications: the Venetian Tower and the Venetian Acropolis Castle. And at the mouth of the Butrint Channel, there is yet another castle on a small islet, Ali Pasha Castle.

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