Harsher punishments, a culture of accountability and better funding are needed to protect Albania’s cultural heritage
The partial destruction of the 16th century St. Premte Chapel in the mountains of Elbasan County is clearly one of Albania’s greatest heritage losses. What makes it worse is that it is the last act in a series of events of neglect, destruction and looting that have caused grave harm to Albania’s historical wealth.
In this particular case, Albania has lost frescoes that were painted around the same time as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. In fact, the painter, Onufri, had traveled across the Adriatic and had seen the works of the Renaissance shortly before he started working on his frescoes in Ottoman Albania. Jewels like these cannot be left unprotected, no matter the price.
The authorities in charge say they lack resources and infrastructure to protect rural monuments 24 hours a day. It might be a true answer, but it is an unacceptable one.
If the infrastructure does not exist, then it needs to be created. May this grave incident be the one that sets it in motion.
Funding might be lacking, but it’s a matter of setting priorities. And cultural wealth, when managed properly, can be self-funding.
Albania wants to become a draw for tourists, but sand and sea won’t do the job on their own. Places like St. Prempte Chapel and cultural tourism are what could give Albania an upper hand.
Tougher punishment for those who damage or steal from cultural heritage sites is also needed. Fines won’t do. And prison sentences need to be stiff. It is troubling that experts point out that prosecutions and punishments have been rare and have not served as a deterrent.
Furthermore, the communities around monuments should be educated about these monuments’ moral value and potential tourist value so they can protect their own heritage.
Due to Albania’s difficult post-communist transition, many international institutions and the embassies of the several EU countries have offered funding to reconstruct monuments of culture in Albania. In fact, much of the reconstruction work that has taken place in large and small heritage sites has been done thanks to funding provided by UNESCO, governments of EU members states and the other friends of Albania. Whenever possible, such help should continue but it also falls on Albanians to take pride in this heritage.
Community support could also come from religious bodies when the sites are of a religious value, but in the case of monuments of culture, the secular state also should play a firm role in cooperation the community.
The system of cultural monument overseers, which protected many monuments under the communist regime and was in some form or another in place until a few years ago, needs to come back. These semi-volunteer positions don’t cost much, and have been proven to be the best way to have continual protection on rural monuments.
At the end of the day, neither state authorities nor any community wants to say that they stood watch as the country’s cultural and historical heritage was destroyed. Instead of pointing fingers, as is often the case, everybody should come together to discuss solutions.
