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The Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Ardenica ( sq, Manastiri Lindja e Hyjlindëses Mari,; or simply Ardenica Monastery ( sq, Manastiri i Ardenices) is an Eastern Orthodox monastery, located 18 kilometers south of Lushnjë, Albania, along the national road that links Lushnjë to Fier. Built by Byzantine Emperor,
Andronikos II Palaiologos , image = Andronikos II Palaiologos2.jpg , caption = Miniature from the manuscript of George Pachymeres' ''Historia'' , succession = Byzantine emperor , reign = 11 December 1282 –24 May 1328 , coronation = 8 Novembe ...
in 1282 after the victory against the Angevins in the siege of Berat, the monastery is famous as the place where, in 1451, was celebrated the marriage of Skanderbeg, the national hero of Albania, with Andronika Arianiti. In 1780 the Monastery started a theological school to prepare clerics in Greek Orthodoxy. It had an important library with 32,000 volumes that got completely burned by a fire in 1932. The Church of Saint Mary within the monastery contains frescos from brothers
Kostandin Kostandin is an Albanian masculine given name. Individuals bearing the name Kostandin include: * Kostandin of Berta (fl. 18th century), writer and translator * Kostandin Boshnjaku (1888–1953), banker, politician * Kostandin Çekrezi (1892–1959) ...
and
Athanas Zografi The brothers Kostandin Zografi and Athanas Zografi (or as they were known locally, Kostë and Thanas Korçari) were Albanian painters of the 18th century from Dardhë, in modern Korçë municipality, southern Albania (then Ottoman Empire). Th ...
, notably one of saint John Kukuzelis, born in Durrës, Albania.


History

Scholars claim that the Byzantine Emperor,
Andronikos II Palaiologos , image = Andronikos II Palaiologos2.jpg , caption = Miniature from the manuscript of George Pachymeres' ''Historia'' , succession = Byzantine emperor , reign = 11 December 1282 –24 May 1328 , coronation = 8 Novembe ...
started building the monastery in 1282 after the victory against the Angevins in the siege of Berat. The chapel of Saint Trinity was already there, erected centuries before. A
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
temple, dedicated to Artemis had existed on the site before the chapel, and it is thought that the name of ''Ardenica'' stems from Artemis. The monastery site lies approximately 1 km from the Via Egnatia (a major 2nd century Roman road). On April 21, 1451 in this monastery was celebrated the marriage of
George Kastrioti , 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 ...
with Andronika Arianiti. The
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of Kanina, Felix said the mess in the wedding in the presence of all the Albanian princes, members of the League of Lezhë and the ambassadors of the
Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...
, Republic of Venice, and Republic of Ragusa. This is mentioned first by A. Lorenzoni in 1940. One of the most important clerics of the monastery,
Nektarios Terpos Nektarios Terpos ( rup, Nectar Tãrpo; el, Νεκτάριος Τέρπος; late 17th century–18th century) was an Orthodox Christian scholar and monk from Moscopole (today in modern Albania) of Aromanian ethnicity. He was the author of an impo ...
from Moscopole, wrote in 1731 a short prayer in the form of a fresco. The prayer is in four languages: Latin, Greek, Aromanian and
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
. This fact is important because it is the first text in
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
written in a Greek-orthodox church. The Albanian text reads . This multilingual short prayer also constitutes the oldest known text in the Aromanian language. It is written using the Greek alphabet, like all other languages in the inscription except Latin. The inscription is , in modern Aromanian spelling , meaning "Virgin Mother of God, pray for us sinners". It has been classified as belonging to a northern Aromanian dialect. At the end the prayers are signed '' Hieromonk - Nektarios Terpos the monk''. In 1743 me with the initiative of the Berat's archbishop, Methodius, who was originary of Bubullimë, Lushnjë District, western Albania, then Ottoman Empire, the monastery was renovated: the paintings from this period of the Zografi brothers pertain to this time. Since 1780, in the Monastery existed a Greek school to prepare clerics. In 1817, the school became a high school, which had also a student house. From this school graduated the Bishop of Berat, Josif. During the Albanian National Awakening period the school became one of the places where the Albanian Language was taught. An important cleric of the monastery was Father ''Mark'', who was the priest to find the bones of Saint
Cosmas of Aetolia Kosmas the Aetolian, sometimes Cosmas the Aetolian or Patrokosmas "Father Kosmas" ( el, Κοσμᾶς ὁ Αἰτωλός, ''Kosmas Etolos''; born between 1700 and 1714 – died 1779), was a monk in the Greek Orthodox Church. He is recognized as ...
, thrown in the Seman by the Turkish chevaliers. The monastery had an exceptional library of 32,000 volumes that got completely burned by a fire in 1932. By the late 1960s in this monastery spent the last days of his life the former primate of the
Albanian Orthodox Church The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania ( sq, Kisha Ortodokse Autoqefale e Shqipërisë), commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autoce ...
, Archbishop Irene Banushi. In 1967, when the atheist campaign in the People's Republic of Albania was in full swing, the monastery was saved from demolition due to the intervention of a local priest who stated that Skanderbeg was said to have been married there. The monastery was closed for the public and for clerical duties in 1969 as the communist regime declared Albania an atheist state. The buildings and its surroundings were left in a state of decay for many years until 1988 when a partial reconstruction took place for tourism purposes. The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania retook possession of the monastery in 1992 after the fall of the communist regime in Albania.


Architecture, iconography, and watermarks

The monastery has a Byzantine-orthodox architecture but with many romanesque features, which lies in a surface of 2.500 meters square. It is composed of the Saint Mary Church, the chapel of the Saint Trinity, a mill, and a barn. ''The Church of Saint Mary'' in the Monastery of Ardenica has important frescos from
Kostandin Zografi The brothers Kostandin Zografi and Athanas Zografi (or as they were known locally, Kostë and Thanas Korçari) were Albanian painters of the 18th century from Dardhë, in modern Korçë municipality, southern Albania (then Ottoman Empire). Th ...
and
Athanas Zografi The brothers Kostandin Zografi and Athanas Zografi (or as they were known locally, Kostë and Thanas Korçari) were Albanian painters of the 18th century from Dardhë, in modern Korçë municipality, southern Albania (then Ottoman Empire). Th ...
. These painters from Korçë worked on the church in 1744. The frescos include an ''Old Testament'' and a ''New Testament'', ''Dogmatica'', ''Lithurgy'', ''Life of Saints, etc. Between the frescos is included a fresco of John Kukuzelis, the saint born in Durrës. In the narthex is present the Last judgement fresco. The
iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...
is wooden and polychromed in gold. It was realized in 1744, with the help of the Moscopole masters. The icons are the work of the 18th century painter Kostandin Shpataraku. Some of the icons are ''Birth of Saint Mary'', ''Christ on the Throne'', ''Saint Mary and Christ, ''John the Baptist'', ''Meeting of the Archangels, ''Crucifixion'', ecc.. It is to be mentioned that in the icon of St. Jovan Vladimir of Prespa, can be found the painting of, Karl Thopia, the Albanian prince with a skepter and crown. The painter calls him ''King of Albania''. All the watermarks are in Greek, with the exception of the prayer written in 1731 from
Nektarios Terpos Nektarios Terpos ( rup, Nectar Tãrpo; el, Νεκτάριος Τέρπος; late 17th century–18th century) was an Orthodox Christian scholar and monk from Moscopole (today in modern Albania) of Aromanian ethnicity. He was the author of an impo ...
in
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
. The oldest watermark dates from 1477 and can be found in the principal entry of the monastir. A second watermark dates 1743 - 44 and pertains to the painting period from the
Zografi brothers The brothers Kostandin Zografi and Athanas Zografi (or as they were known locally, Kostë and Thanas Korçari) were Albanian painters of the 18th century from Dardhë, in modern Korçë municipality, southern Albania (then Ottoman Empire). They ...
. In the monastery can also be found two plates pertaining to the 17th century. One of them, dated 1754, can be found in the western side of the church, the other, dated 1770 is found in the arches of the stove. Dates can be found also on the church's bells.


Tourism

The hills of Ardenica can be found in southern Myzeqe in a dominant position. From this position, one can see
Krujë Krujë ( sq-definite, Kruja; see also the etymology section) is a town and a municipality in north central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is only 20 km north from the capital of Albania, Tirana. Kruj ...
, Dajti, Tomorr, the Adriatic Sea, the
Karavasta lagoon Karavasta Lagoon ( sq, Laguna e Karavastasë) is the largest lagoon in Albania and one of the largest adjoining the Mediterranean Sea, spanning an area of . Karavasta is part of the Divjakë Karavasta National Park and is separated from the Adr ...
and the Labëria mountains.


References


External links


Gallery of images
{{Authority control Byzantine church buildings in Albania Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Albania Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Albania Christian monasteries established in the 13th century Buildings and structures in Fier 13th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire Tourist attractions in Fier County 1282 establishments in Europe