Princess Argjiro orArgyro (Albanian:Princesha Argjiro;Greek:Πριγγίπισα or Αρχόντισσα Αργυρώ) is a legendary figure inAlbanian. She is supposed to have lived in the 15th century.
Argjiro inspiredIsmail Kadare in a poem he wrote in the 1960s.[1] According to local Albanian folkloric traditions she lived in the 15th century and jumped offGjirokastër Castle in the southern Albanian city ofGjirokastër, along with her child so as to avoid being captured by theOttomans.[2][3][4] Gjirokastër, located within historicalEpirus takes its name from the Greek formArgyrokastro meaning silver castle and legend has it that the city was named for her, but the toponym long predates Princess Argjiro's time.[5]
In Albanian tradition Princess Argyro or Argyri or Argyrini was aByzantine princess and theeponymous founder of Gjirokastër. She built a castle there in the 15th century.[6][5] Thus, the town is also known by some local Greeks asCastle of Argyro (Greek:Κάστρο της Αργυρούς). The tradition 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 ofTepelenë and Argyro of Argyrokastro (modern Gjirokastër).[7] AuthorKostas Krystallis in his 1893 short novelArgyro the single-breasted (Greek:Αργυρώ η Μονοβύζα), describes that the castle of Argyro was besieged and taken by the Turks. However, Argyro's son, following his mother’s advice, had already escaped to nearbySofratikë and then secretly moved toKastaniani.[7] There he was murdered by traitors. Argyro, when hearing the news of his death, was eager to take revenge. She finally managed to regain control of her castle and the surrounding region.[7][8]
Ο χρόνος στον οποίον χτίστηκε η πόλη είναι άγνωστος σε εμάς σήμερα, όμως λαϊκή εγχώρια παράδοση μαρτυρεί ότι κατά τους Βυζαντινούς χρόνους η αρχόντισσα Αργυρώ ή Αργυρίνη έχτισε το Αργυρόκαστρο και γι' αυτό ονομαζόταν από αρκετούς και «Κάστρο της Αργυρώς». Αυτή την παράδοση περί κτίσης του Αργυρόκαστρου την Βυζαντινή εποχή, ενισχύουν οι τοιχοδομίες του φρούριου και τα βυζαντινά κειμήλια που σώθηκαν στην κοιλάδα Δρόπολη, η οποία βρίσκεται πριν το Αργυρόκαστρο, όπως επίσης και από τις Βυζαντινές Εκκλησίες και τα μνημεία, τα οποία στόλιζαν την πόλη και αποκάλυπταν τον ελληνικό πολιτισμό. Όμως δεν συμφωνούν όλοι οι ιστορικοί με αυτή την άποψη.
Αργυρόκαστρον, από παράδοση κατά την οποία η πόλη χτίστηκε από τη Βυζαντινή αρχόντισσα Αργυρή ή Αργυρίνη
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