TIRANA, Jan. 16 – The legend of Shkodra’s landmark Rozafa castle where a woman is believed to have been sacrificed to prevent it from collapse is being showcased at the Council of Europe’s Arts Club in Strasbourg.
Exploring the relationship between legends and art, the exhibition displays 30 artworks featuring Rozafa’s history and its legend which has inspired many poems, books and songs.
“This exhibition tries to explore the existence of an interesting relationship between legends and art, but also between the legend and reality. It conveys the idea of altruism, sacrifice that some do for the others. Big causes prevail over the tiny interests of a person or a small group of persons,” organizers say about the “Legend of a castle” exhibition that will remain open until February 3.
The exhibition features works by several renowned and emerging artists from Shkodra, such Kol Idromeno, Danish Jukniu, Edi Hila and Eros Dibra, all part of Tirana’s private-run Kalo Art gallery collection. After its return to Albania on February 4, the exhibition will travel to the Gallery of Shkodra City and then to GALERIAKALO in Tirana.
The legend of a human being walled in during the construction of a bridge or castle is widespread in Albanian oral literature. Animals such as sheep and chicken are still in some cases sacrificed on such occasions to ‘strengthen’ the foundations of a new building under construction.
A landmark in Shkodra, the country’s biggest northern city and one of the most prominent cultural heritage locations, the Rozafa castle dates back to ancient times with Latin historian Titus Livius naming it “the stronghold of the Labeates,” an Illyrian tribe on the shores of Lake Shkodra.
The waters of three rivers, the Buna, Drini and Kiri, surround Rozafa, one of the major castles in Albania and the most important tourist attraction in Shkodra.
Albanian and Polish archaeologists have discovered medieval burials, Hellenistic buildings and vessels from the Roman period as well as Turkish baths at the archaeological area around the landmark Rozafa castle in the past six years.
Established only a couple of years ago by renowned Albanian lawyer Perparim Kalo, the Kalo gallery has been one of Tirana’s busiest art spaces organizing 22 exhibitions.
