Durres Castle

Durres Castle is located in Albania’s fortified medieval city of Durres. It is surrounded by city walls that date from the late fifth century and have been rebuilt and strengthened throughout the Middle Ages and early modern times.

The Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491–518), who hailed from Durrs, erected the fortress (ancient Dyrrhachium). Anastasius made the city one of the strongest fortified on the Adriatic at the time. An earthquake in 1273 destroyed the old walls, which required major repairs.

The medieval city walls are now approximately 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall, with three entrances to some of the defense towers surviving in nearly one-third of the total length. The Republic of Venice expanded the castle with additional guard towers, while the Ottoman Empire strengthened the wall during its tenure in Albania.

Albanian nationalists resisted the Italian invasion of Albania on April 7, 1939. A group of just 360 Albanians, largely gendarmes and civilians, headed by Abaz Kupi, the Durres gendarmerie chief, and Mujo Ulqinaku, a marine officer, attempted to stop the Italian advance in Durres. They held off the Italians for many hours with just small weapons and three machine guns until a considerable number of light tanks landed from the latter’s naval boats. After then, resistance faded, and the Italian troops had taken control of the whole city in less than five hours.