St. Mary's Monastery, Zvërnec

St. Mary's Monastery
Albanian: Manastiri i Shën Mërisë
Albanian: Manastiri i Fjetjes së Hyjëlindëses Mari
Zvërnec Monastery
Interactive map of St. Mary's Monastery
Albanian: Manastiri i Shën Mërisë
Albanian: Manastiri i Fjetjes së Hyjëlindëses Mari
40°31′02″N 19°24′9″E / 40.51722°N 19.40250°E / 40.51722; 19.40250
LocationZvërnec Island, Vlorë County
Albania
History
Built13th or 14th century
Designated1963[1]

The St. Mary's Monastery (Albanian: Manastiri i Shën Mërisë), also known as the Monastery of Dormition of Theotokos Mary (Albanian: Manastiri i Fjetjes së Hyjëlindëses Mari) and as Zvërnec Monastery (Albanian: Manastiri i Zvërnecit) is an Albanian Orthodox Church in the Zvërnec Island inside the Narta Lagoon, northwest of the city of Vlorë.[2]

History

When St. Mary’s Monastery was founded—most likely between the 11th and 14th centuries—it did so in a landscape where the present-day village of Zvërnec did not yet exist. At that time, both the island and the adjacent mainland were under the ecclesiastical and administrative jurisdiction of the nearby village of Nartë. The modern settlement of Zvërnec emerged only in later centuries along the shore of the lagoon, and it was only thereafter that the monastery became associated with this newer village by proximity.

Much of the complex most likely dates back to the 19th century.[3]

The complex has been protected as a cultural monument since 1963.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status". Republic of Albania National Committee for Cult. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ Elsie, Robert (2001). Balkanistica, Vol. 13: The Christian Saints of Albania. American Association for South Slavic Studies. p. 39.
  3. ↑ Laurìa, Antonio; Flora, Valbona; Guza, Kamela (2020). III. The coastal village of Zvërnec (PDF). doi:10.36253/978-88-5518-175-4.03.
  4. ↑ "Komuniteti Shqiptar per Kultet". kshk.gov.al. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2025-08-21.