Pukë ( sq-definite, Puka) is a town and municipality in northern

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 la ...

. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Gjegjan, Pukë, Qelëz, Qerret and Rrapë, that became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Pukë. The total population is 11,069 (2011 census), in a total area of 505.83 km². The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 3,607. At 838 metres above sea level, the town is one of the highest in elevation in Albania and a well-known ski area. It is 150 km from Albania's capital,

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

Etymology

The toponym may derive from

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 ...

''via publica'' ("public road") as it was located on an old trade route.

History

The settlement is inhabited by the tribe of Puka, itself one of the "seven tribes of Puka" ( sq, shtatë bajrakët e Pukës). According to tradition, collected by in the mid-19th century, the settlement of Puka had been founded by a Paolo Zenta, who according to Marin Barletius was a relative of

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 ...

. The region also has its own Kanun, a set of traditional Albanian laws, and is known as ( en, Canon of Pukë) and used mainly in

Northern Albania Northern Albania ( sq, Shqipëria Veriore) is one of the three NUTS-2 Regions of Albania. This ethnographical territory is sometimes referred to as ''Ghegeria'' ( sq, Gegëria) which also includes parts of the Albanian-inhabited territories of ...

and

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

. In the 20th century, Pukë was expanded as a military base and a centre of

Catholic education Catholic education may refer to: * Catholic school, primary and secondary education organised by the Catholic Church or organisations affiliated with it * Catholic university, private university run by the Catholic Church or organisations affiliate ...

. The distinguished Albanian poet

Migjeni Millosh Gjergj Nikolla (; 13 October 191126 August 1938), commonly known by the acronym pen name Migjeni, was an Albanian poet and writer, considered one of the most important of the 20th century. After his death, he was recognized as one of th ...

taught in the town from 1936 to 1937. Pukë is surrounded by a 400-hectare (1.5 sq mi)

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

-coated

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

. As in other parts of Europe, climate change has extended and consolidated the range of the pine processionary moths, who defoliate pines, including in the pinelands of northern Albania.

Economy

The hotel standing in the town square has been upgraded and now boasts a microbrewery producing Puka Beer, which is a lager in draught form. The local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ca ...

club is KF Tërbuni Pukë.

Mayors

Notable people

* Etilda Gjonaj - Albanian politician, lawyer, and professor. She is currently the Minister of Justice of Albania * Altin Lala - Former captain of

Albania national football team The Albania national football team ( sq, Kombëtarja e futbollit të Shqipërisë) represents Albania in men's international association football, football, and is governed by the Albanian Football Association, the governing body for football in ...

and

Hannover 96 Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96 (), Hannover, HSV or simply 96, is a German professional football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony. They played in the Bundesliga for a total of 30 years betwe ...

* Kristjan Sokoli -

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

player * Xhovalin Delia - Painter * Fabio Gjonikaj - footballer * Taulant Marku - footballer *

Sebino Plaku Sebino Plaku (born 20 May 1985) is an Albanian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Football Superleague of Kosovo club SC Gjilani. Club career Early career Plaku joined the Partizani academy as a teenager and was eventually ...

- footballer * Flavio Prendi - footballer * Shtjefën Gjeçovi - Catholic priest, folklorist and the collector and writer of Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit/

Kanun (Albania) The Kanun (also aln, Kanû/-ja, other names include sq, doke, zakon, venom, usull, itifatk, adet, sharte, udhë, rrugë) is a set of Albanian traditional customary laws, which has directed all the aspects of the Albanian tribal society.. For ...

* Ndoc Mark Gega - Patriot *

Millosh Gjergj Nikolla Millosh Gjergj Nikolla (; 13 October 191126 August 1938), commonly known by the acronym pen name Migjeni, was an Albanian poet and writer, considered one of the most important of the 20th century. After his death, he was recognized as one of th ...

- Teacher, poet and writer

Twin towns – sister cities

Pukë is twinned with: *

Signa Signa () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region Tuscany, located about west of Florence. Signa borders the following municipalities: Campi Bisenzio, Carmignano, Lastra a Signa, Poggio a Ca ...

, Italy

References

Sources

* * Through The Embers of Chaos (2002),

Dervla Murphy Dervla Murphy (28 November 1931 – 22 May 2022) was an Irish touring cyclist and author of adventure travel books, writing for more than 50 years. Murphy is best known for her 1965 book '' Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle'', about a ...

The author refers to processionary disease in Pukë on a cycle trip through Albania, including a stay in the town, described on page 213

External links

Official websiteHotel Turizem Puka Official WebsitePukë
A Web page dedicated to Pukë and the surrounding area
Puka Tourist Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puke Municipalities in Shkodër County Ski areas and resorts in Albania Administrative units of Pukë Towns in Albania