Riniasa Castle ( gr, Κάστρο Ῥινιάσας), originally known as Thomokastron ( gr, Θωμόκαστρον, , Castle of

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

), is a medieval

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

fortress on the coast of

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

, close to the modern village of

Riza : A riza ( Russian: риза, "vestment," "robe"; Ukrainian: шати, ''shaty'', "vestments") or oklad (оклад, "covered"), sometimes called a "revetment" in English, is a metal cover protecting an icon. It is usually made of gilt or silve ...

near

Preveza Preveza ( el, Πρέβεζα, ) is a city in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epiru ...

. The castle is today in a ruinous condition.

History

The castle was built (or rebuilt) by Thomas I the

Despot of Epirus The despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The name "Despotate of Epirus" and the title "despot of Epirus" are modern historiographical ...

, at the beginning of the 14th century, hence was named Thomokastron ("Thomas' castle") or the "castle of the despotes." It was conquered by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in 1463 and liberated from the Turks along with the rest of Greek Epirus during the 20th century.

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Riniasa Castle
at ''kastra.eu'' Buildings and structures in Preveza (regional unit) Byzantine castles in Epirus (region) Byzantine fortifications in Greece Populated places of the Byzantine Empire {{Portal bar, Byzantine Empire, Greece, Military history