2.47 TS – Albania: A Crossroads of Byzantine Influence and Beyond

This Thematic Session aims to explore the profound impact of the Byzantine Empire on Albania from various perspectives, including historical, cultural, religious, and artistic viewpoints. Situated at the crossroads between East and West, Albania’s territory was integral to the Byzantine Empire, serving not only as a crucial military and administrative region but also as a melting pot of religious and cultural exchanges. This session will delve into how Byzantine influence permeated Albanian lands, shaping its religious institutions, art, architecture, and manuscript traditions, and how Albania served as a conduit for Byzantine culture to interact with neighboring regions and vice versa.

Church Decoration in Albania in the first half of the 16th Century as a Sign of Revival and Advancement of Orthodox Communities: Symeon, Bishop of Dryinoupolis (ca. 1497[?]–1530), and Onouphrios Argitis, Protopapas of Neokastron (ca. 1535–1555) as Case Studies

Between approximately 1500 and 1540, a refined style of ecclesiastical painting emerged in Ottoman Albania, signaling the economic and spiritual recovery of Orthodox communities. This phenomenon is exemplified in our paper by two key figures. In the south, Bishop Symeon of Dryinoupolis was a major patron. His donations include the frescoes for the stone iconostasis…

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The Albanian Territory on the Cultural Map of Byzantium: The Manuscripts of the Macedonian Renaissance

This study aims to situate the Byzantine manuscripts of the Albanian territory within the wider cultural and historical framework of the Macedonian Renaissance (9th–11th centuries), a period representing the apex of Byzantium’s intellectual, aesthetic, and theological development. Through a comparative paleographical, codicological, and artistic approach, the research examines a selected corpus of manuscripts preserved in…

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Greek, Roman and Byzantine Architecture of Epidamnos, Dyrrachion/Dyrrachium, Durrës

The modern city of Durrës, Albania’s second largest city, is built on the remains of the ancient known as Epidamnos or Dyrrachion, transformed into Dyrrachium in Roman period, dates from the seventh century BC. Durrës was a major port of Illyria for Italy, whence a branch of the Via Egnatia runs past (technically bypasses) Salonica…

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Protege Domine: l’abate benedettino Innocenzo e la Comunione degli Apostoli a Rubik (1272)

This study examines the apse frescoes (dated 1272) in the Church of the Ascension of the Holy Saviour in Rubik (Albania), restored in September 2024, with particular attention to the scene of the Communion of the Apostles depicted on the lower register of the apse. The analysis highlights the Latin ritual context and the distinctive…

Read More Protege Domine: l’abate benedettino Innocenzo e la Comunione degli Apostoli a Rubik (1272)