Drisht ( sq-definite, Drishti) is a village, former bishopric and Latin

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

with an Ancient and notable medieval history (Latin ''Drivastum,'' Italian ''Drivasto'') in

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

, 6 km from

Mes Bridge Mesi Bridge ( sq, Ura e Mesit "The bridge in the middle") is a bridge in the village of Mes, about (as the crow flies) northeast of Shkodër, in northwestern Albania. It is a monument of Postribë culture, turning the site into a tourist attra ...

(Albanian: ''Ura e Mesit''). It is located in the former municipality

Postribë Postribë is a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Shkodër. The population at the 2011 census was 7,069.Shkodër County Shkodër County ( sq, Qarku i Shkodrës) is a county in northwestern Albania, with the capital in Shkodër. The county spans and had a total population of 197,177 people as of 2021. The county borders on the counties of Lezhë, Kukës and the cou ...

. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality

Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...

. The ruined 13th Century

Drisht Castle Drisht Castle ( sq, Kalaja e Drishtit) is a ruined castle above the modern Albanian village of Drisht, medieval Drivastum, in the municipal unit Postribë, Shkodër County, Albania. The earliest traces of fortifications date to the late Neolith ...

is on a hilltop 300m above sea level. The ruins of the castle itself contains the remains of 11 houses, and below the ruins of the castle, and above the modern village of Drisht are further archeological remains of late-Roman and medieval Drivastum.

Name

The name of the settlement was recorded in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

as ''Drivastum''. Albanian ''Drisht'' derives from ''Drivastum'' through Albanian phonetic changes, however it has been noted that the accentual pattern found in ''Drísht'' < ''Drívastum'' presupposes an Adriatic " Illyrian" intermediary.

History

The settlement of Drivastum is known to have existed before the tenth century AD. The Diocese of Drivastum became a suffragan of the

Archdiocese of Antivari The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bar ( cnr, Барска надбискупија, Barska nadbiskupija; sq, Kryepeshkopata Katolike Romake e Tivarit; la, Archidioecesis Antibarensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Montenegro.

in 1089, after it was transferred from the

Archdiocese of Ragusa The Diocese of Dubrovnik ( hr, Dubrovačka biskupija); or Ragusa ( la, Dioecesis Ragusiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southern Croatia.Duklja Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana Ri ...

. In 1183, Serbian

Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nemanji ...

conquered Drivast and its surroundings. In 1241, the city was plundered by the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

under

Subutai Subutai (Classical Mongolian: ''Sübügätäi'' or ''Sübü'ätäi''; Modern Mongolian: Сүбээдэй, ''Sübeedei''. ; ; c. 1175–1248) was a Mongol general and the primary military strategist of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan. He directed m ...

, as they were advancing east across

Zeta Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; grc, ζῆτα, el, ζήτα, label= Demotic Greek, classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived f ...

, while heading home. Scholars estimate that Drivast was taken by the Balšići ca. spring of 1362. However, it is known that by 1363, they had captured Drivast and nearby Scutari. In 1393,

Đurađ II Balšić Đurađ Stracimirović ( sr-cyr, Ђурађ Страцимировић; 1385 – April 1403), or Đurađ II, was the Lord of Zeta from 1385 to 1403, as a member of the Balšić noble family. He was the son of Stracimir Balšić, and succe ...

, having negotiated his freedom from Ottoman captivity, submitted to the Great Sultan's suzerainty and surrendered Drivast,

Sveti Srđ Sveti Srđ ( lat, St. Sergius, sr-cyr, Свети Срђ) was an important market town on the left bank of the river Bojana away from Skadar in Medieval Serbia and later the Venetian Empire and for short period in the Ottoman Empire. It was a m ...

and Scutari. However, Đurađ soon ended his vassalage to the Ottomans and reconquered the cities he had surrendered mere months before. In 1395, knowing he could not outlast an Ottoman attack, he handed these cities, including Drivast, to dogal Venice in exchange for 1,000 ducats yearly. In 1399, the townspeople in Drivasto (the city's new Italian name) and Scutari started a revolt against Venice, angered at the high taxes they were paying. The revolt lasted for three years, when Venetian troops managed to control the situation. However, the areas surrounding Drivast and Scutari no longer recognized Venetian authority. Angered by Venice's policy on his former lands and its trade monopoly policy that caused an economic stagnation in his ports, Đurađ II sent troops to his former lands, including Drivast, breaking his peace treaty with Venice. Đurađ's actions led to Venice believing that he had a major role in the uprising's initiation. Scholars are unsure whether this accusation is accurate. The Turks also decided to send raiding parties to these rebellious lands. In 1423

Đurađ Branković Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Anka ...

conquered Drivast and annexed it to

Serbian Despotate The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and ...

. Supported by Ottomans,

Gojčin Crnojević Gojčin Crnojević ( sr-cyr, Гојчин Црнојевић, 1398–d. after 1451) was a Lord of Zeta, initially as a vassal of the Serbian Despotate until he revolted against Despot Stefan Lazarević. He disappeared from sources in 1451. Goj ...

and Little Tanush Dukagjin, Maramonte plundered region around Scutari and

Ulcinj Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coast ...

and attacked

Drivast Drisht ( sq-definite, Drishti) is a village, former bishopric and Latin titular see with an Ancient and notable medieval history (Latin ''Drivastum,'' Italian ''Drivasto'') in Albania, 6 km from Mes Bridge (Albanian: ''Ura e Mesit''). It is l ...

in 1429, but failed to capture it. In August 1442, Venice took Drivast from Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković. Native citizens of Drivast were hostile toward advances of Albanians and Serbs so they accepted Venetian suzerainty only under condition that Venice wouldn't employ Albanian pronoiers and to return to the city land Serbian despot gave to Serbs. In 1447,

Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

demanded from the Venetians to give control over Drivast to him, along with the lands which earlier belonged to Lekë Zakarija. However, the Venetians refused to accept his demands and Skanderbeg started the war against Venice. In March 1451

Lekë Dukagjini Lekë III Dukagjini (1410–1481), mostly known as Lekë Dukagjini, was a 15th-century member of the Albanian nobility, from the Dukagjini family. A contemporary of Skanderbeg, Dukagjini is known for the ''Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit'', a code of l ...

and Božidar Dushmani planned to attack Venetian controlled Drivast. Their plot was discovered and Božidar was forced to exile. In September 1478, Drivast was captured by the Ottomans.

Ecclesiastical History

The bishopric was founded around 400 AD, as a

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

of its Late

Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

Dalmatia Superior Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see names in other languages) is one of the four historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of the Adriatic Sea, stre ...

's capital Doclea's Metropolitan bishop. Drivastum became a suffragan of the

in 1089, after it was transferred from the

Archdiocese of Ragusa The Diocese of Dubrovnik ( hr, Dubrovačka biskupija); or Ragusa ( la, Dioecesis Ragusiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southern Croatia.Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the ''sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while dist ...

; incomplete : first centuries unavailable)'' * Domenico (? – death 1322) * Nicola,

Augustinian Order Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

(O.E.S.A.) (1323.02.28 – 1324.12.17), later Bishop of

Argos Argos most often refers to: * Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece ** Ancient Argos, the ancient city * Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland Argos or ARGOS may also refer to: Businesses ...

(1324.12.17 – ?) * Bernardo (1351.12.26 – ?) * Giovanni Andrea (1359 – 1373.05.18), later Metropolitan Archbishop of

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

(Montenegro) (1373.05.18 – 1382) * Bernardo (1373 – 1374.04.29), later Bishop of

Kotor Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...

(Montenegro) (1374.04.29 – ?) * Atanasio (1374.04.29 – ?) * Nicola Bazie,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the teachin ...

(O.F.M.) (1391.02.15 – 1394.02.16), later Bishop of

Caorle Caorle (; vec, Càorle) is a coastal town in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, northern Italy, located between the estuaries of the Livenza and Lemene rivers. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea between two other tourist towns, Eraclea and ...

(1394.02.16 – ?) * Andrea de Montanea, O.F.M. (1398.08.16 – ?) * Bartolomeo Puonbiolus (1400? – ''1404 deposed'') * Francesco da Scutari, O.F.M. (1405.12.01 – 1424.05.24), later Bishop of

(1424.05.24 – ?) *'' Nicola Wallibassa (1424.05.24 – 1425 not possessed)'', previously Bishop of

(1414.03.14 – 1424.05.24) * Dionigi da Knin,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

(O.P.) (1425.11.29 – ''1428.10.11 deposed'') * Michele Paoli (1428.10.11 – death 1445?), previously Bishop of Balecio (1424.09.01 – 1428.10.11) * Paolo Dusso (1445.12.22 – 1455), previously Bishop of Suacia (1440.11.16 – 1445.12.22) * Terslav (? – death 1489) * Francesco de Ecclesia (1489.12.02 – ?) * Benedetto Kornis,

Norbertines The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...

(O. Praem.) (1512.10.29 – ?) * Francesco de Mora, O.F.M. (1518.11.10 – death 1520) * Giovanni de Zaguis,

Benedictine Order , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

(O.S.B.) (1520.01.13 – death 1520?) * Gonzalo de Ubeda,

Mercedarians The Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives ( la, Ordo Beatae Mariae de Mercede Redemptionis Captivorum, abbreviated O. de M.), also known as the Mercedarians, is a Catholic mendicant order es ...

(O. de M.) (1521.02.06 – death 1525?) *

Bishop-elect In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...

Pedro Fernández de Jaén, O.P. (1525.03.20 – ?), Auxiliary Bishop of Jaén (Spain) (1525.03.20 – ?) * Francesco de Solis (? – death 1540?)catholic-hierarchy.org: "Bishop Francisco Solís"
retrieved February 7, 2015 * Alfonso de Sanabria (1541.05.04 – ?) * Gerolamo Lucich, O.F.M. (1636.03.03 – death 1648.01.02) The residential see was suppressed in 1650, its territory being merged into the Diocese of Shkodrë (in Albania).

Titular see

In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin

Titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

of Drivastum (Drivasto in Curiate Italian). It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank ''with two archiepiscopal (intermediary) exceptions :'' * Cipriano Cassini (趙信義),

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

(S.J.) (1936.12.23 – 1946.04.11) * Daniel Liston,

Holy Ghost Fathers , image = Holy Ghost Fathers seal.png , size = 175px , caption = The seal of the Congregation depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Trinity. , abbreviation ...

(C.S.Sp.) (1947.03.13 – 1949.12.19) * João Floriano Loewenau,

(O.F.M.) (1950.09.08 – 1979.06.04) * Rafael Barraza Sánchez (1979.10.26 – 1981.10.19) * ''Titular Archbishop Traian Crisan'' (1981.12.07 – 1990.11.06) * Bruno Bertagna (1990.12.15 – 2007.02.15) (later Archbishop) * ''Titular Archbishop Bruno Bertagna'' (2007.02.15 – 2013.10.31) * Paul Tighe (2015.12.19 – ...), Adjunct Secretary of

Pontifical Council for Culture The Pontifical Council for Culture ( la, Pontificium Consilium de Cultura) was a dicastery of the Roman Curia charged with fostering the relationship of the Catholic Church with different cultures. It was erected by Pope John Paul II on 20 May ...

, Member of Vatican Media Committee

Modern Drisht

The population of modern Drisht is predominantly Muslim and Albanian speaking. Drisht is accessible by a 4x4 or by walking.Albania: The Bradt Travel Guide - Page 160 Gillian Gloyer - 2008 "Drishti is reached along a track on the other side of the bridge from the good road; it is driveable, in a 4x4 vehicle, but it might be as quick to walk. LEZHA Telephone code: 0215 Albanians are always very keen for foreigners to visit .."

References

Sources and external links

* * * *
GCatholic with incumbent bio links
; External links