Atop a hill overlooking the small town of Fier in Albania, lies the Monastery of Ardenica, also known as the Monastery of the Nativity of Theotokos in Ardenica.
It has topped this hill in one form or another since 1282 when it was first founded by the Byzantine Emperor, Andronikos II Palaiologos after his victory against Angevins in the siege of Berat.
History
Emperor Andronikos began construction of the monastery on the site adjacent to where the Chapel of Saint Trinity already existed for centuries. A pagan temple dedicated to Artemis, goddess of the hunt, is believed to have already existed on the site previously. It is thought that the name Ardenica is derived from Artemis. It is famous in history for being the location of the marriage of Albanian hero Skanderbeg, to Andronikos Arioniti in 1451.
It also served as a theological school for clerics of the Greek orthodoxy, established in 1780. It had an impressive library boasting around 32,000 volumes. Unfortunately these were all completely destroyed in a fire in 1932.
The Church of Saint Mary within the monastery walls contains frescos from brothers Konstantinos and Athanas Zografi. Another notable historical mark is the prayer written in the form of a fresco by Nektarios Terpos, a cleric, in 1731. The significance of the words Vigjin dhe mame e Perendis vro pren fajt orkhe are in their very existence, rather than in their meaning. This is because it is the first Albanian text to have been written in a Greek Orthodox Church.
The monastery was due to be demolished by the Communist regime after it declared Albania an atheist State. However, a local priest intervened stating that Skandebeg was said to have married there and the demolition was not followed through. It was, however, closed for the public and clerical duties from 1969 at which point it was not maintained and required a partial reconstruction by 1988 in order to open for tourism purposes. After the fall of the Communist regime in Albania the Orthodox Autocapholous Church retook possession of the monastery in 1992.
Church
The Church’s wooden iconostasis is the work of masters from Moscopole in 1744 while the icons depicted on it are by popular artist Konstantinos Shpataraku.
Today in the church a baptism is taking place. We look on for a few minutes as the water is blessed and a few cries from the baby indicates that the ceremony is well underway. At the back of the church there is a little alcove where we are able to drop a few Lek into the donation box and light a candle. The boys, who are always up for lighting a candle, pause with me for a moment in remembrance.
Artworks
Back inside the main church we are unable to get a closer look at the iconostasis due to the baptism ceremony taking place. However, frescos surround us on all walls and I pause to take them in. They are rather lovely.
These impressive frescos, including an Old Testament and a New Testament are by the brothers Konstantinos and Athanas Zofrin. The brothers were from Korse and worked on the frescos in 1744.
Saint Michael, a popular subject, is an archangel, note his sprawling wings over the cape. He is a spiritual warrior in the battle of good versus evil, considered a champion of justice, a healer of the sick, and the guardian of the Church. In art Saint Michael is depicted with a sword and banner (as depicted here), or sometime scales. He is often shown vanquishing Satan in the form of a dragon although here it seems he has bettered some evil soul.
These are the Seven Holy Founders (Husbands) of the Servite Order – Bonfilius, Alexis, Manettus, Amideus, Hugh, Sostene and Buonagiunta of Florence). They were seven holy men of the town of Florence who became bound to each other in a spiritual friendship. Eventually they called by the Virgin Mother of God in a vision that they reportedly all shared in one and the same moment. Bid to ‘Leave the World, the Better to Serve Almighty God’ they dedicated their lives to the church.
Clearly visible under the main fresco (above), flanked by St. Michael and the Seven holy founders, is Konstantinos’ name. Unfortunately I am unable to translate the remainder of the script myself.
The colours and detail, including the paint strokes are still clearly visible despite some of the frescos being damaged.
The Monastery
Outside again, the sun shines on the stacked stones which are highlighted by baskets overflowing with flowers adorning each arch of the portico. The Church’s tower glows white and the parishioners begin to file down the stairs. Apart from the ceremony inside, the monastery appears quiet. Its thick, protective walls keeping any outside noises at bay and ensuring a gentle hush over the interior. Not that the lush fields surrounding us are particularly frantic. Fertile pastures are being ploughed for the upcoming season. Apart from this there are lots of bees going about their business. The occasional bleat of a goat can be heard in the distance with the sound of the highway non existent. The minor detour from Lushnjë turns out to be a worthwhile price to pay for this delightful experience.
Good To Know
This pretty little detour sits just off the highway between the towns of Lushnjë and Fier. They are situated on the road headed south from Tirana (and also Berat).
Would I Return?
No. It is a pretty spot and the church and monastery are easily accessible. However, there is no additional tourist information offered or available. In addition, access to the monastery itself is restricted to the church and church’s courtyard.
We visited the Monastery of Ardenica on tour with Endrit from Albania Private Guide.
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