Kastoria Fortress

The Byzantine fortifications of Kastoria were ordered by Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century AD, who recognised the strategic potential of the peninsula jutting into Lake Orestiada. Water surrounds the settlement on three sides, creating a natural defence. The walls transformed Kastoria into a significant military and administrative outpost of the Byzantine Empire in western Macedonia. The site is identified with the ancient city of Celetrum, first mentioned by the Roman historian Titus Livius in chronicles from 200 BC concerning Roman conquests. The name 'Kastoria' may derive from the Greek word 'kastoras' (beaver), referencing animals once abundant in the lake, or from the mythological hero Castor. Substantial sections of Justinian's walls survive, enclosing the peninsula and defining the medieval city's form.

Heritage data from Wikidata, compiled and verified in the Atika atlas.