The small castle of Preza, on a hill top affording wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, has been rebuilt many times, and it is easy to see why this location was chosen for a fortification. From the top of the hill, one can see Kruja on the opposite side of the valley, the sprawl of Tirana to the south east, the coastline to the north west, and the route to Durrës.
Although the origins of the castle and any settlement in the area are still not fully understood, the location was clearly chosen for its strategic importance as it overlooks the age-old route that ran from Durrës to Shkodra.
There is some suggestion that a fortification was originally constructed on the site by the Emperor Justinian in the mid 6th century CE but I have been unable to find anything to confirm this view. However, the ancient olive trees still flourishing on the hill around the castle are a testament to the ancient population exploiting this fertile area. Recent analysis has dated some of the olive trees to more than two thousand years ago. These dates support references in various sources to ancient habitation of the area such as Marinus Barletius who in his history of Skanderbeg (Albania’s national hero), published in Rome circa 1510, connects Preza with the name ‘Parthini’, which was a town of the Illyrian tribe of the same name.
The context for Barletius referencing Preza is his account of the Ottoman siege of Kruja, Skanderbeg’s stronghold, in 1466. He says that the besieging troops were camped in the plain between Kruja and the town of Preza, and that it was in a ruinous state. However, the general consensus seems to be that the present form of the castle, notwithstanding the addition of the clock tower and other restorations, was built during the 15th century, perhaps by Sultan Murad II to keep a watch on Skanderbeg’s base and citadel at Kruja. Others favour the interpretation that it was a stronghold of the Albanian resistance and part of Skanderbeg’s chain of fortifications across the north of the country and visual signalling system via beacons.
The castle is small, around 80 meters long and 50 meters wide and forms an irregular pentagon. It has four round towers and one square tower over the entrance. Steps up to the fighting platform can still be seen within the walls. Its size and the height and thickness of the walls suggest that the castle was mainly for control over the road in the valley below and as a vantage point. It may also have been used for storage and as barracks, but it could not have withstood a long siege or heavy bombardment.
During the first part of the 16th century some changes were made to the castle. A gatehouse with a small square outer-work was added to the entrance. This meant that access to the castle via the outer-work was now at a right angle to the original doorway. A building was also added over the gateway and adjacent to the wall for use by the garrison, perhaps as accommodation. After some years, the building next to and over the gatehouse was converted into a mosque which has been recently restored.
The last major changes to the castle happened in the mid-19th century, when a square clocktower was built on top of the lower courses of a round tower. In 1853, diplomat and Albanologist Johann Georg Von Hahn visited Preza and described the clock tower. It must have had a very loud chime as oral testimonies gathered by local historians record that the
chime could be heard in the villages around Preza up to the vicinity of Tirana and Kruja up until the early 20th century. The clocktower was damaged in the earthquake of November 2019, but has also been recently restored.
More recent additions to the castle are a bar and restaurant just below. The bar has a display of historic photographs of fortifications, mosques and clocktowers from across Albania.
Preza is definitely worth a visit. The views are wonderful, and I would also recommend a walk around the hillside to see the magnificent old olives with their huge trunks. There is also a beautiful covered well just before the castle.
Getting There
The road to Preza is off the SH52, the road which runs between SH2 (Vore exit) and SH1 (Fushë-Krujë). The turning to Preza is signposted in both directions. There is on-street car parking around the castle.
Further Reading
Çoku, D., Kullat e Sahatit në Shqiperi, ALSAR, 2021
Gilkes, O., Albania: An Archaeological Guide, I.B. Tauris, 2013
Ismaili, H., Analysis of Some Very Old Olive Tree, International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2018
Kepi, F., Preza ne Rrjeden e Historise, 2014
https://telegraf.al/i-pakategorizuar/fadil-kepi-preza-ne-rrjedhen-e-historise/
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