Castle of Eleftherochori

“It was built by Ali Pasha, Ioannina in the early 19th century, in order to control the natural passage from the coasts of the Ionian Sea to the mainland hinterland, which led to the ports between Parga and Preveza. At the same time, the area of ​​Eleftherohori was the boundary between the Territories of Pasha, Ioannina and Beydes of Paramythia and Margariti. During the first months of 1801, after the agreement of the Souliotas with local Beydes, Ali will try to control the passage of Eleftherohori, constructing the fort. Customs and Lazareto is built in the same position to deal with plague in Passaliki territories. According to Leake, who visited the area in 1809, on his course from Paramythia to Ioannina met the abandoned village of Eleftherohori where there were two killas, a triangular castle and a customs office. The Fortress of Eleftherohori seems to have been abandoned after the fall of Souli and the subjugation of Beydish in Paramythia at 1807 or gradually launched its abandonment, as its defensive importance was reduced to keeping the passage. It has a simple triangular plan with a maximum dimensions of 41 x 29 μ. Despite its impressive external appearance, the castle follows the time data that refers more to the type of fortified home than an organized fortress. A tall enclosure includes inside the buildings for the guard, the tank and the warehouses, and no care is taken to erect additive defense structures such as bastions, with the exception of the circular bastion found in the southern part of the fortress. The possibility of controlling outdoor space is ensured exclusively with the polygonal exterior enclosure of the fortress. “.