Rogoi/Bouchetion

Rogoi, also known historically as Bouchetion, is a medieval hilltop citadel located in Nea Kerasounta near Preveza in western Greece. Constructed by the Byzantine Empire during the 9th century, the fortress was built using hewn ashlar stone atop a twenty-nine-meter hill on the northern bank of the Louros River. Strategically positioned where the Ambracian Gulf once extended further inland, the site originally served as the acropolis for the ancient Elean colony of Bouchetion before being abandoned in antiquity and later reoccupied to serve as a regional bishopric and military stronghold.

The castle holds significant historical value due to its continuous role in regional power struggles from the 9th through the 15th centuries. Throughout its active life, it changed hands multiple times, controlled sequentially by the Byzantine Empire, the Despotate of Epirus, the Serbian Empire, the Despotate of Arta, and the Tocco dynasty. It witnessed notable military conflicts, including a siege by Philip I of Taranto in the early 14th century, before finally falling to the Ottoman Empire in 1449. Following the Ottoman conquest, the fortress was abandoned and gradually fell into ruin, ending over five centuries of strategic importance.

Today, Rogoi exists as an archaeological ruin under the ownership and protection of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports. Although the structure is no longer inhabited or used for defense, the site remains open to the public for visitation. Visitors can still observe remnants of its past glory, including the gate in the citadel wall, which stands as a testament to the various civilizations that once fortified this coastal location. The site offers a tangible link to the complex medieval history of Epirus and the shifting borders of empires in the Balkans.