Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos in Ardenica

ARDENICA. Orthodox monastery on a hilltop between Fier and  Lushnja. Ardenica (Gk. Ardeúousa) is one of the most important  monasteries and pilgrimage sites of Central Albania. It was visited by  pilgrims, Christian and Muslim alike, because of a miracle-working  spring. The pilgrims, mostly women, would drink the holy water in  the hope of being cured of their illnesses. Surrounded by lofty cypress  trees, the monastery of Ardenica was originally founded in the 13th  or 14th century. It received many precious gifts from pilgrims over  the years and developed into one of the most splendid monasteries  in all of Albania. The well-preserved church in the inner courtyard  of the monastery, completed in 1743, is devoted to the Virgin Mary.  It was here that Scanderbeg and Andronica Arianiti are said to have  been married in the 15th century.

The monastery has a Byzantine-orthodox architecture but with many romanesque features, which lies in a surface of 2.500 meters square. It is composed of the Saint Mary Church, the chapel of the Saint Trinity, a mill, and a barn. The Church of Saint Mary in the Monastery of Ardenica has important frescos from Kostandin Zografi and Athanas Zografi. These painters from Korçë worked on the church in 1744. The frescos include an Old Testament and a New Testament, Dogmatica, Lithurgy, Life of Saints, etc.

Between the frescos is included a fresco of John Kukuzelis, the saint born in Durrës. In the narthex is present the Last judgement fresco.

The iconostasis is wooden and polychromed in gold. It was realized in 1744, with the help of the Moscopole masters. The icons are the work of the 18th century painter Kostandin Shpataraku. Some of the icons are Birth of Saint Mary, Christ on the Throne, Saint Mary and Christ, John the Baptist, Meeting of the Archangels, Crucifixion, ecc.. It is to be mentioned that in the icon of St. Jovan Vladimir of Prespa, can be found the painting of, Karl Thopia, the Albanian prince with a skepter and crown. The painter calls him King of Albania.

All the watermarks are in Greek, with the exception of the prayer written in 1731 from Nektarios Terpos in Albanian. The oldest watermark dates from 1477 and can be found in the principal entry of the monastir. A second watermark dates 1743 - 44 and pertains to the painting period from the Zografi brothers. In the monastery can also be found two plates pertaining to the 17th century. One of them, dated 1754, can be found in the western side of the church, the other, dated 1770 is found in the arches of the stove. Dates can be found also on the church's bells.

Scholars claim that the Byzantine Emperor, Andronikos II Palaiologos started building the monastery in 1282 after the victory against the Angevins in the Siege of Berat. The chapel of Saint Trinity was already there, erected centuries before. A pagan temple, dedicated to Artemis had existed on the site before the chapel, and it is thought that the name of Ardenica stems from Artemis. The monastery site lies approximately 1 km from the Via Egnatia (a major 2nd century Roman road). On April 21, 1451 in this monastery was celebrated the marriage of George Kastrioti with Andronika Arianiti. The archbishop of Kanina, Felix said the mess in the wedding in the presence of all the Albanian princes, members of the League of Lezhë and the ambassadors of the Kingdom of Naples, Republic of Venice, and Republic of Ragusa. This is mentioned first by A. Lorenzoni in 1940.

One of the most important clerics of the monastery, NektariosTerpos from Moscopole, wrote in 1731 a short prayer in the form of a fresco. The prayer is in four languages: Latin, Greek, Aromanian and Albanian in Greek alphabet. This fact is important because it is the first text in Albanian written in a Greek-orthodox church. The Albanian text reads (Albanian: Vigjin dhe mame e Perendis uro pren fajt orete). At the end the writing is signed Hieromonk - Nektarios Terpos the monk.

In 1743 me with the initiative of the Berat's archbishop, Methodius, who was originary of Bubullimë, Lushnjë District, western Albania, then Ottoman Empire, the monastery was renovated: the paintings from this period of the Zografi brothers pertain to this time.

Since 1780, in the Monastery existed a Greek school to prepare clerics. In 1817, the school became a high school, which had also a student house. From this school graduated the Bishop of Berat, Josif. During the Albanian National Awakening period the school became one of the places where the Albanian Language was taught.

Source : Historical Dictionary of Albania 2nd Edition

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardenica_Monastery?wprov=sfla1