Arta Routes

History of the Castle of Arta Located on a low hill on the north side of the city, the Castle of Arta is a significant landmark for the region. The importance of this strategic point was notable already from antiquity. The Corinthian colonists, who founded…

The Fortification of Ambracia Built on the site of modern Arta, Ambracia was extended to the river Arachthos, which surrounded the city on three sides. The naturally fortified position of the city was reinforced by a strong and imposing fortification, 4,5 km long, which was…

Yannis Makriyannis (1797-1864) His real name was Ioannis Triantaphyllou and was born in 1797 in the Avoriti settlement of Krokyleio Fokidas. He received the nickname Makriyannis, which means “long John”, because of his height. In 1811, he reached Arta, occupied himself with trade, and became…

The Coat of Arms of the Tocchi family In the Castle’s Acropolis, there is a coat of arms engraved on a well. It belonged to Carlo I Tocco, who was the count of Kephalonia and Despot of Epirus from 1416 until his death. The Tocchi…

The imprisonment of Makriyannis In 1820, Makriyannis (1797-1864) joined Filiki Etaireia and he took part in the preparations for the Greek War of Independence. In March 1821, he was sent to Patra to consult with the leaders for a common uprising. Returning to Arta, he…

The Acropolis of the Castle Short Description The Acropolis of the Castle is located in the southwest corner of the walls, just after the main gate. The gate of Acropolis is further protected by a bulwark. The oldest phase of the Acropolis dates to the…

The Hotel Xenia In the late 1950s, the Castle of Arta, as well as the whole city were included in the general tourism development program of Greece after the Second World War. The hotel Xenia was built, in the center of the Castle, while the…

The Chapel of All Saints The present orthodox Chapel of All Saints is in the center of the Castle, built on the ruins of a smaller church, which probably dated back to the Byzantine period. One of the most important researchers of Greek architecture and…

North Gate The North gate of the Castle is rather small and is located inside the tower Π10 of the walls. The gate, internally, is opened to the southeast side of the tower, while its exit is located on the northeast side and ends up…

The Underground Building During the excavation period 2011-2014, on the eastern side of the Castle near the tower Π4, was discovered the ”Underground Building”. It is a building structured below the ground, and it is visible from one façade only. It has been structured by…

The Palace of the Despots At this point are the ruins of a large Byzantine Building with estimated dimensions of 45.5x11meters. The surviving part of the building is gamma-shaped, and its southern part is preserved at a considerable height of 4m. Based on its characteristics,…

Engraved Inscription An engraved inscription is incorporated approximately in the middle of the façade of the tower Π3, which has been studied by researchers from time to time.At the first attempt for analysis by the scholar Theocharis Tsoutsinos in 1993, it was suggested that the…