St. Paraskevi's Church ( sq, Kisha e Shën Premtes) is a church in Çetë, Kavajë Municipality,

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 ...

. It became a

Cultural Monument of Albania In Albania, a cultural monument ''()'' is a construction or work of cultural, historical and artistic value that is built in a visible space, made in memory of important events or prominent people. Cultural monuments are usually under state protect ...

in 1963.

History

The church is thought to have been built in the 13th century and is the only church left in Albania with a clear

gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It ...

. It was built as a catholic benedictine church during the time of the Kingdom of Albania. Similar catholic churches were built during this time both in Central and Northern Albania, but the Çetë church is the only one still standing. In 1691 the church was transformed into an orthodox church, painted with frescoes and decorated with icons. The Zografi Brothers painted all four walls. In addition, 16 icons, as well as the iconostas, are attributed to a later, 18th century

Kostandin Shpataraku Kostandin Shpataraku (; 17361767), also commonly known as Shpataraku, was an Albanian Orthodox icon and fresco painter of the Post-Byzantine period in the eighteenth century. He continued to combine Byzantine tradition with influences from the ...

. The iconostas is no longer preserved. Furthermore, many frescoes were destroyed by a fire caused during atheist Albania, which started in 1967. That period, which coincided with the destruction of many religious objects, but did not affect the Çetë church, as the local inhabitants, despite being a Muslim majority, did not accept its destruction.

Description and local legends

The church is composed of the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

, the

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

and the naos. The floor has a circular figure of the sun, which is of interest as the cult of the sun is pre-Christian. According to local legends, three knights were going, through

Via Egnatia The Via Egnatia was a road constructed by the Romans in the 2nd century BC. It crossed Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thracia, running through territory that is now part of modern Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, and European Turkey as a continu ...

, from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

to liberate the city, as well as the

Tomb of Jesus The tomb of Jesus refers to any place where it is believed that Jesus was entombed or interred. Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is a church in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. It contains, a ...

in a crusade. After spending the night in Çetë, the next morning they told one another that they had all dreamt the same dream: Saints had told them to stop in Çetë and build a church there, as it would have been good for the people, and so they built it, before going to Jerusalem. Another legend is similar to the story of

Paraskevi of Rome Saint Paraskevi of Rome (also Parasceva) is venerated as a Christian martyr of the 2nd century. She was arrested and tortured under the reign of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius for her refusal to worship idols. Though he eventually released her ...

: A young woman who lived in Çetë and had decided to never get married, asked her father to build a church where she would pass the rest of her life praying and helping the people in need. Her father built the church, and when construction was finished, and she wanted to light candles, they would light up by themselves.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:St. Paraskevi's Church, Cete Buildings and structures in Kavajë Cultural Monuments of Albania Churches in Albania