Fortress of Apolihni
  

Northwest of the village of Armolia lies the fortress of Apolihni, built in 1440 by the Genoese Nicholas Banca Giustiniani. This is verified by the Latin inscription that was on the lintel above the entrance to the fortress which numerous travelers read throughout the years. The inscription is now incorporated into the old village school, on the square north of the cathedral of St. Demetrios and the Virgin of Armolia. Because it had been whitewashed, one can distinguish only the Giustiniani coat-of-arms  an encircled tower on the left, and an encircled cross on the right.

The Fortress is of a trapezoid shape as indicated in a drawing by Arnold Smith. It contains 62 rooms and is enclosed by double ramparts. In addition to its fortified towers, there are also small defense towers on the upper corners. Facing the Great Tower is a cistern in which rain water from the rooftops was gathered, assuring drinking water for the people inside. The travelers Thevenot (1656), Piaceza (1688), and Cornelli (1696) refer to two cisterns, while Arnold Smith has sketched only one. The signal towers located on the shores from Komi to the sea of Lithi communicated with the Fortress.