Princess Argjiro
Princess Argjiro or Argyro (Albanian: Princesha Argjiro; Greek: Πριγγίπισα or Αρχόντισσα Αργυρώ) is a legendary figure in Albanian. She is supposed to have lived in the 15th century.
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Ismail_Kadare.jpg/190px-Ismail_Kadare.jpg)
Argjiro inspired Ismail Kadare in a poem he wrote in the 1960s.[1] According to local Albanian folkloric traditions she lived in the 15th century and jumped off Gjirokastër Castle in the southern Albanian city of Gjirokastër, along with her child so as to avoid being captured by the Ottomans.[2][3][4] Gjirokastër, located within historical Epirus takes its name from the Greek form Argyrokastro meaning silver castle and legend has it that the city was named for her, but the toponym long predates Princess Argjiro's time.[5]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Kostas_Krystallis.jpg/190px-Kostas_Krystallis.jpg)
In Greek tradition Princess Argyro or Argyri or Argyrini was a Byzantine princess and the eponymous founder of Gjirokastër. She built a castle there in the 15th century.[6][5] Thus, the town is also known by some local Greeks as Castle of Argyro (Greek: Κάστρο της Αργυρούς). The fact that she was the founder of Gjirokastër isn't in agreement with archaeologists today. Nevertheless, the settlement was most probably founded during the Byzantine period (5th-15th century).[5] Greek author Alexandros Georgitsis states in 1885 that there were three sisters of royal blood: Gianno (Greek: Γιαννώ), Leno (Greek: Λενώ), and Argyro. Each princess became the eponymous founder of a town: Gianno of Gianna, Leno of Tepelenë and Argyro of Argyrokastro (modern Gjirokastër).[7] Author Kostas Krystallis in his short novel “Argyro the single-breasted” (Greek: Αργυρώ
References
[edit]- ^ Sinani, Shaban; Kadare, Ismail; Courtois, Stéphane (2006). Le dossier Kadaré (in French). Paris: O. Jacob. p. 37. ISBN 978-2-7381-1740-3.
- ^ Gjirokastra Conservation and Development Organization. "Një histori e shkurtër e Gjirokastrës[A short history of Gjirokastër]". Retrieved 2010-12-15."Prejardhja e emrit të Gjirokastrës ka një shpjegim mitik dhe dy të tjerë me natyrë më historike. Sipas legjendës, gjatë rrethimit përfundimtar të qytetit nga turqit, Princesha Argjiro, motra e zotit të qytetit u hodh nga muret e kalasë bashkë me djalin e saj për të mos rënë e gjallë në duart e armikut. Që këtu rrodhi edhe emri “kalaja e Argjirosë”. [The origin of the name of Gjirokastra is a mythical explanation and the other two most historical nature. According to legend, during the final siege of the city by the Ottomans, Princess Argjiro, the sister of the city's ruler jumped from the walls of the castle together with her son not to fall alive into enemy hands. From here came the name "Argjiro castle".]"
- ^ Mezini, Ledita, and Dorina Pojani (2015). "Defence, identity, and urban form: the extreme case of Gjirokastra." Planning Perspectives. 30.(3): 27-28. "This identity presents itself even in relatively minor details, such as the legend surrounding the city name origin. To date many local residents claim that ‘Gjirokastra’ derives from the name of Princess Argyro, the sister of the local feudal lord, who, during the final siege of the city by the Turks threw herself and her infant son from the fortress battlements into the rocks so as not to be taken alive by the enemy – an unlikely explanation since the first mention of the city’s name appears in Byzantine records, well before the Ottoman conquest."
- ^ Andrea, Fotaq (2007-06-03). "AMAZONAT SHQIPTARE". Ndryshe. Retrieved 2010-12-15. [dead link]
- ^ a b c Γιαννακού, Μαρία. "The Bishop of Argyrokastro Panteleimon and the North Epirus Issue". digital.lib.auth.gr. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. p. 20. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
Ο χρόνοςσ τ ο ν οποίον χτίστηκεη πόλη είναι άγνωστοςσ ε εμάς σήμερα, όμως λαϊκή εγχώρια παράδοση μαρτυρεί ότι κατά τους Βυζαντινούς χρόνουςη αρχόντισσα Αργυρώ ή Αργυρίνη έχτισετ ο Αργυρόκαστροκ α ι γ ι ' αυτό ονομαζόταν από αρκετούςκ α ι «Κάστρο της Αργυρώς». Αυτήτ η ν παράδοση περί κτίσηςτ ο υ Αργυρόκαστρουτ η ν Βυζαντινή εποχή, ενισχύουνο ι τοιχοδομίεςτ ο υ φρούριουκ α ι τ α βυζαντινά κειμήλιαπ ο υ σώθηκανσ τ η ν κοιλάδα Δρόπολη,η οποία βρίσκεταιπ ρ ι ν τ ο Αργυρόκαστρο, όπως επίσηςκ α ι από τις Βυζαντινές Εκκλησίεςκ α ι τ α μνημεία,τ α οποία στόλιζαντ η ν πόληκ α ι αποκάλυπταντ ο ν ελληνικό πολιτισμό. Όμωςδ ε ν συμφωνούν όλοιο ι ιστορικοίμ ε αυτήτ η ν άποψη. - ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (1998). Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας
μ ε Σχόλιαγ ι α τ η Σωστή Χρήσητ ω ν Λέξεων. Kentro Lexikologias. p. 275. ISBN 978-960-86190-0-5.Αργυρόκαστρον, από παράδοση κατά
τ η ν οποίαη πόλη χτίστηκε απότ η Βυζαντινή αρχόντισσα Αργυρή ή Αργυρίνη - ^ a b c Politis, Nikolaos (1965). Μελέται περί
τ ο υ Βίουκ α ι της Γλώσσηςτ ο υ Ελληνικού Λαού (Studies about the History and the Traditions of the Greek People] (in Greek). Erganē. pp. 693–695. - ^ Τόμος 170
τ ο υ Νεοελληνική Γραμματεία (24 November 2014). Ηπειρώτικαι αναμνήσεις. Pelekanos Books. ISBN 9789604007691.{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)