Biography.guide
Home › People › Despo Botsi
Portrait of Despo Botsi

Despo Botsi

d. 1803

Greek Souliot heroine

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Despo Botsi

Despo Botsi was a Turkish.

Despoina Botsi (; ), commonly known as Despo Botsi, was a Souliot woman who went down in history for her resistance to the troops of Ali Pasha of Ioannina and her heroic death—together with the women and children she had under her protection—in the tower of Dimoulas, in the village of Riniasa (now Riza) of Zalongos, on December 25, 1803.

Despo came from the Souliot Sechos family. Her brothers were Giannakis, Giorgos and Dimitrios Sechos or Karametsis. She was the wife of the Souliot chieftain Giorgakis Botsis. The extended family of Giorgakis Botsis had settled in the coastal village of Riniasa, tributary to Ali Pasha, in 1802, where they lived from agriculture. When Ali Pasha's persecution of the Souliots broke out, immediately after the decision of the former to abandon Souli and hand it over to the Pasha of Ioannina in December 1803, a group of about 500 Ottoman Albanian soldiers passed through Riniasa and attacked the families established there.

Despo Botsi, head of the family after the death of her husband, in order to avoid the soldiers and save her family, shut herself in Castle of Riniasa (better known as the "Tower of Dimoulas", today it is also referred to as the "Castle of Despo") along with all her daughters-in-law and grandchildren. From there, she fought bravely against the soldiers, refusing to surrender. When the guns stopped firing, she set fire to the gunpowder stored in the tower and was killed along with her family.

The death of Despo Botsi has been immortalized in the well-known folk song Despo.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Died
1803
Nationality
Also known as
Despo Mpotsi, Despoina (Despo) Sehou

Frequently asked questions

Who was Despo Botsi?

Greek Souliot heroine

When did Despo Botsi die?

Despo Botsi died in 1803.

What nationality was Despo Botsi?

Despo Botsi was Turkish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Despo Botsi

· Wikidata: Q16322711

· DBpedia: Despo Botsi

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Despo Botsi. https://biography.guide/despo-botsi/

MLA: "Despo Botsi." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/despo-botsi/.

Chicago: "Despo Botsi." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/despo-botsi/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-27 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:17 UTC