Sebaste Castle, Lac

The Castle of Sebastes, Lac is a cultural monument of the first category in Albania, declared as such since 1963. This fortification of the Late Antiquity period rises on a hill about 200 meters high, providing a strategic control point over the plain of Laci. The walls of the castle of Sebastes are an important evidence of the ancient period, which dates from the 4th to the 6th century.

The castle is identified with the name "Sebasta", but archaeologists also associate it with the ancient name "Latium". This stands as a checkpoint on the Dyrrahium-Lisuss-Scodra road in the early period. While life first descends on the plain in the first centuries of our era, a shift again occurs in the 4th-6th century, as a result of barbarian invasions in the Balkans. This time, the location of the castle moves to the famous St. Anthony's Hill.

The enclosure walls of the castle of Sebastes show a special construction technique with squared stones and fragments of black-glazed pottery found inside them. These elements date the castle from the end of the 4th century and the second phase of the 6th century. This construction period coincides with a phase of changes in fortification constructions in this part of the Balkans.