Berat’s landmark Gorica bridge under restoration

TIRANA, Sept. 17 – The landmark Gorica bridge in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Berat, south-western Albania, will soon be restored under a $130,000 fund by the Albanian Development Fund.
“We are in the final stage of procedures on this investment to restore this important monument which has recently been degrading,” says Eugen Kallfani, the head of Berat’s regional culture directorate as quoted by local media.
The reconstruction works are scheduled to remove existing electricity and water supply systems, restore the cobbled streets, install a lighting system and place tourist signs.
In March 2014, the Gorica bridge hosted the “Balkan Bridges Speak’ event highlighting bridges as powerful symbols of unity and mutual understanding. Irina Bokova, the director general of UNESCO, also attended the event.
The Gorica bridge, an 18th century seven-arched stone bridge in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Berat was the third stop of the Balkan Bridges Speak project hosted by across South East Europe highlighting bridges as powerful symbols of unity and mutual understanding.
The Gorica Bridge, which connects two parts of Berat was originally built from wood in 1780, but was later rebuilt with stone in the 1920s. The seven-arched bridge is 129 metres long and 5.3 metres wide and stands about 10 metres above the average water level. According to local legend, the original wooden bridge contained a dungeon in which a girl would be incarcerated and starved to appease the spirits responsible for the safety of the bridge.
Since 2008, Berat has been inscribed as a rare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in south central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417.