Description

Berat is one of Albania's oldest towns, first emerging as afortress-settlement built around the main Castle in the 4th centuryBC and has been continually inhabited ever since. However, tracesof a human settlement dating 4,000 years ago have been found in thevicinity of today's inhabited area. The town was first settled bythe Illyrian Desaretes tribe, who were the first to buildfortifications in the city - the basements of the Castle. Known asAntipatrea, it was captured by Romans in the 2nd century BC. TitusLivy, a famous Roman historian described it as a strong big town,settled in a narrow rocky strip of land. He noted the cruelty ofthe Roman legions who "killed all people over sixteen years of age,destroying the outer walls and setting the town ablaze". The Romanscalled the city Albanorum Oppidum (Albanian Fortress). During theByzantine period in the 5th century A.D., the city was known asPulcheriopolis (from Pulheria) after the name of the sister of theByzantine Emperor Theodosius who took the town. The name Pulheria,meaning "beautiful, wealthy, and strong" was a reflection of thecity's importance. This project is supported by: Swiss Agency forDevelopment and Cooperation SDC through: Risi Albania - Partner forGrowth Managed by: BID Berat - Zona per Zhvillimin e Biznesit andMunicipality of Berat All contents, images, logos, audios includedon this application are copyrighted.