First constructed by the Ottoman Empire in the early 1700s, it was expanded under Venetian rule in 1718–1797 and again under the autonomous regime of Ali Pasha of Yanina in 1807–1808 to become the largest of the several fortifications in the Preveza area.

[3][4][5] As a result, the Ottomans did not rebuilt the old fort, but erected a new one, some 800 metres (2,600 ft) further north at a site reported in Venetian sources as Sto Chiparissi (Greek for 'at the cypress tree').

[6] The erection of the new fortress, and centre of the Ottoman administration, also had the effect of drawing the city northwards, as the local inhabitants began building their homes in close proximity to it.

[11] The castle barely played a role in the battle: it was small and in a very poor state, as well as being indefensible due to the nearby houses being higher than its walls.

[1] The outer wall was gradually demolished in the 20th century,[15] while the interior of the main castle, used by the Hellenic Army as a base for several decades, lost all its original structures.