St. Mary Monastery in Zvërnec, Albania
One of 200 religious structures classified as a "culture landmark."
A small peninsula about six miles northwest of Vlorë offers passage to the Zvërnec Islands. The path meanders through an idyllic pine forest with multiple hiking trails and a small number of bunkers. After travelling through the tiny settlement of Zvërnec, the track stops, and the wooden bridge leading to the island is placed here.
The place is known on maps as Zvërnec Islands, and there are two islands in the Narta Lagoon. The wooden bridge connects to the more oversized island, which houses a mediaeval Byzantine monastery. This island measures 1,400 feet by less than 1,000 feet and rises only 100 feet. Apart from the clearing containing the monastery, the island is densely forested. The smaller Zvërnec Islands have only pine trees and are only accessible by boat.
The monastery is frequently called St. Mary's Monastery (Manastiri I Shën Mërisë in Albanian), but the correct spelling is Monastery of Dormition of the Theotokos Mary. The meaning of this name pertains to St. Mary's final night on earth before being called to heaven—the term "Theotokos" is a title that can be translated as "mother of God" or "bearer of God."
The monastery's church, built in the 13th century, is one of 200 religious structures designated by Albania as a "culture monument." The tower's architecture is typically Byzantine, including the cross-shaped design of the church, which features a sarcophagus at its very centre in this case. An icon of St. Mary created by Tërpo Zografi, a great Albanian artist of the 18th century, is one of the monastery's most valued possessions.
The compound also includes a smaller chapel, monks' dorms, a workshop, a stable, a storehouse, a football pitch, and a minor cemetery. Marigo Posio is laid to rest in the cemetery. She embroidered the first Albanian flag hoisted on November 28, 1912.
