Fortress of Apolihni

The fortress of Apolihni is located in the northwest of Armolia, constructed in 1440 by the Genoese Nicholas Banca Giustiniani. This is confirmed by the Latin inscription that was on the architrave above the entrance to the fortress which multitudinous travelers read all year round. The inscription is now preserved in the old village school on the northern side of the Cathedral of St. Demetrios and the Virgin of Armolia. Because it had been whitewashed, it is only possible to identify the Giustiniani armorial bearings, an encircled tower on the left side and a encircled cross on the right side.

The fortress is trapezoidal, as it emerges from a drawing of Arnold Smith. It includes 62 rooms and is enclosed by double walls. Additionally to its immured towers, there are also minor defense towers on the upper corners. Looking at the Big Tower one can see a cistern that collected the rain water from the roofs to supply the inhabitants inside with drinking water. The travelers Thevenot (1656), Piacenza (1688) and Cornelli (1696) refer to two cisterns, while Arnold Smith has sketched only one. The signal towers, which were located on the banks of Komi at the sea of Lithi, communicated with the fortress.