Bashtova Castle, in the village of Vilë Bashtovë – Cultural Monument K.I
Bashtova Castle is located on a plain, about 400 m north of the river Shkumbin, 3 km from its discharge into the Adriatic Sea, in the south-west of the village of Vilë-Bashtovë and i belongs to the XV century, built by the Venetians. It has received the status of cultural monument of the first category since 1948.

The period of construction of this fortress by the Venetians is the last decades of the century. XV, beginning after the reconstruction of the Elbasan fortress by the Ottomans, in 1466. One of the main reasons that pushed the Venetians at this time was the possibility of the Ottomans using the Shkumbin estuary and the use of the rich timber that was there for construction of ships, and going to the open sea, endangering the trade and security of the Republic.

After Skanderbeg’s death in 1468, the opportunity to defend these dominions was scarce. Bashtova was also an important port for trading grain and various goods. The architecture and construction technique point to a castle built in haste, taking into account the greatest economy of material used.

This is evidenced by the thin walls, but combined from the inside with pilasters and arches, the towers with open ridges, which are less resistant, as well as the low floors of the towers designated only for fighting. On the other hand, it has been taken into account that a small castle has as much firepower as possible, creating three levels of combat on the walls and five on the towers. Unlike other Venetian fortifications, built during the end of the c. XIV and the beginning of the century.

XV, like the round towers in Durrës, the castle of Butrint, and the fortifications in Shkodër, the aesthetic criterion was not taken into account here. Everything serves only defense and combat. Bashtova Castle is one of the last Venetian fortifications that were built to resist the Ottoman invasion.

It has a rectangular plan, measuring 60 x 90 m. At the four corners and in the middle of each wall there is a tower, except for the western wall which belongs to a second period of construction. The walls have a width of 1 m.

Between the sandstone and conglomerate in irregular shapes, pieces of brick and tile are inserted here and there. In some cases, there are also architectural fragments from the Byzantine period, such as parts of columns, bases and capitals used instead of ordinary stones.

Immediately after the conquest, the Ottomans appreciated the position of this fortress and placed a permanent garrison there. They carried out some complementary works, such as turning some floors of the towers into residential alcoves for the guards and building a mosque above the main entrance tower, works that were carried out before 1521.

Even in the c. XVII, Bashtova continued to be a garrison castle. After this period, the western wall that had collapsed as a result of the flooding of the Shkumbin River was rebuilt. Bashtova continued to play an important role as a trading port even after the Ottoman occupation.