Its first period of prosperity began in 1204 when Michael Komninos founded the Despotate of Epirus and Ioannina was established as the region’s intellectual centre. In 1430 it surrendered to the Turks.

During the reign of Ali Pasha (1788-1822), it enjoyed a new period of economic and intellectual growth, as his court became a pole of attraction for restless spirits (Kollettis, Vilaras, etc.) and future military leaders of a revolutionary Greece (Karaiskakis, Botsaris, Androutsos, etc.).

But for Ioannina the modern era of its long history did not really begin until its liberation by the Greek army on 12 February 1913 and Epirus became part of the Greek state.