A major restoration at Moglena Castle in northern Greece is now complete, and the fortress has officially reopened to the public. Greece’s Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni handed over the restored monument to the local community and visitors following conservation work on key structures and improvements to the surrounding landscape.
The €1.85 million project was funded through Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The Ministry of Culture has described Moglena Castle as a standout example of Byzantine military architecture that served for centuries as an administrative, defensive, and ecclesiastical center in the broader Macedonia region.
Mendoni also tied the site to major chapters of Byzantine history, including campaigns linked to Emperor Basil II and Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The fortress was established in the early 9th century during a period of Bulgarian incursions, and it flourished between the 10th and 13th centuries. It was part of a wider defensive network that included neighboring fortifications like the castle of Vodena, now Edessa.
Also known as the Castle of Chrysi, the monument overlooks the Almopia Plain and once controlled key routes across the region. Archaeological work has identified a three-aisled basilica inside the fortress, believed to be the episcopal church, along with other discoveries outside the southern walls, including a cross-shaped church and part of a cemetery.
For mason contractors and restoration crews, the scope reads like a real-world snapshot of what public heritage owners prioritize on heavy masonry sites. The restoration program included strengthening foundations, repairing structural damage, conserving sections of the eastern fortification walls and the southern gate tower, restoring the masonry of the episcopal basilica and the cemetery church, and stabilizing damaged stonework throughout the monument.
Officials said early studies were supported through an INTERREG cross-border effort with the Municipality of Almopia, with later discoveries leading to updated plans before Recovery Fund financing was secured in 2022. The reopening is expected to support cultural tourism in Pella while preserving one of Byzantine Macedonia’s most important landmarks.
Read the full, original article from Greek City Times here.