TIRANA, July 5 – A 13th century orthodox church and museum of icons in the landmark castle of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Berat, southern Albania, are being restored in a bid to preserve cultural heritage in one of Albania’s main tourist attractions and increase the number of visitors.
The Holy Trinity Church, locally known as the “Kisha e Shen Triadhes,” has already had its facade and cupola restored almost four decades after the last intervention under communism when Albania banned religion.
The 13th century church just below the inner fortification of the Berat Castle is known for its important frescoes of Byzantine influence.
“We are in the final stage of restoration works in the Holy Trinity church which has known no intervention since the early 1970s. In addition to being an example in terms of quality, this restoration will attract more and more tourists,” said Culture Minister Mirela Kumbaro during a visit to the church in late June.
“Due to a decade-long neglect, mural paintings are in serious condition, but at least we have curbed humidity, restored the exterior walls, and are now continuing work inside,” she added.
The church stands inside the fortified walls of the Berat Castle, as one of the oldest churches on site. Built in the 13th century on the site of an older church, dating from the seventh century, the Orthodox church became a cultural monument in 1948.
With its Byzantine-inspired architecture, the St. Trinity Church is a stunning view itself, however, the church is popular mainly for its strategic location that allows visitors beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding attractions.
Meanwhile, the Onufri Museum of Icons has also had its exhibition area restored and tourists to this landmark visual arts institution are also offered audio-guide tours in English and Italian.
Museum officials say its collection has been enriched with 20 icons dating from the 14th to the 19th century.
“Today we have 20 more original items and the number of items in the collection has increased to 193,” says Agron Polovina, the Onufri museum director.
The number of visitors to the Onufri museum almost doubled to 20,000 in 2015, says the culture ministry. Expectations remain optimistic as a newly reconstructed road to Berat and more cultural heritage festivals are making the UNESCO World Heritage site one of the top attractions in the country.
The Onufri National Museum of Icons is located in the inhabited quarter of Berat Castle. This museum contains a rich iconographic collection and some religious service items.
It features the work of perhaps the most remarkable Albanian iconographic painter, Onufri, active during the 16th century. His pieces are notable for the great realism and individuality introduced into his subject’s facial expressions and body positions, breaking with the strict conventions of the time.
Since 2008, Berat has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list as a rare example of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in 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.
Berat bears witness to a town which was fortified but open, and was over a long period inhabited by craftsmen and merchants. Its urban centre reflects a vernacular housing tradition of the Balkans, examples of which date mainly from the late 18th and the 19th centuries. This tradition has been adapted to suit the town’s life styles, with tiered houses on the slopes, which are predominantly horizontal in layout, and make abundant use of the entering daylight, says UNESCO.
