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Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in the Republic of Albania and seat of
Lezhë County Lezhë County ( sq, Qarku i Lezhës) is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population as of 2021 was 120,678, in an area of 1620 km².
and Lezhë Municipality. One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian construction and are dated to the late 4th century BC. Lezhë was one of the main centres of the
Illyrian kingdom The Illyrian Kingdom is the name of a country that existed on the Western part of the Balkan Peninsula in ancient times and represented an alliance of Illyrian tribes. History In southern Illyria organized realms were formed earlier ...
. During the conflicts with
Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled ...
, it was captured by Philip V becoming the Macedonian outlet to the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
. The city was later recovered by the Illyrians. It was subjected to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
after the
Roman-Illyrian wars The Illyro-Roman Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Ardiaei kingdom. In the ''First Illyrian War'', which lasted from 229 BC to 228 BC, Rome's concern was that the trade across the Adriatic Sea increased after the ...
and the fall of
Gentius Gentius ( grc, Γένθιος, "Génthios"; 181168 BC) was an Illyrian king who belonged to the Labeatan dynasty. He ruled in 181–168 BC, being the last attested Illyrian king. He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept positive relati ...
' realm. Lezhë was the site of the League of Lezhë where
Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...
united the Albanian lords in the fight against the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
.


Name

The city is mentioned in ancient sources as ''Lissós'' (
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic pe ...
: Λισσός) and ''Lissus'' (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
: ''Lissus'', ''Lissum''). It is also attested in numismatic material. The ''ethnicon'' ΛΙΣΣΙΤΑΝ /LISSITAN/ is found on coin inscriptions of the Hellenistic era. It is considered a Greek toponym, deriving from the Greek λισσός /lissós/, meaning 'smooth, smooth rock, gruff'. The ancient name ''Lissus'' evolved into its modern form ''Lezhë'' (archaic: ''Lesh'') through Albanian sound changes. In Turkish, the town is known as ''Leş'' or ''Eşim'' and in Italian as ''Alessio''. Lezhë is also known as ''Alise'', ''Alexiensis'', ''Eschenderari'', or ''Mrtav''.


History


Early history

From the early Mycenaean period (1600-1450 BC) a free exchange pattern is confirmed with the centres of Mycenaean Greece as seen by various swords (C and D type) unearthed in Lezhë. The earliest human constructions have an Illyrian character and appear on the site from the Late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
and Early
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...
. The settlement with its fortifications was built on a 413-metre-high mountain, the ''Mal i Shëlbuemit'', from at least the 8th century BC, and was located near the mouth of the Drin river.; In antiquity the area was described as the territory of the
Illyrii The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, al ...
tribe (the "Illyrians proper"; grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii or ''Illyrii propriae dicti''). Diodorus ("Library", 15.1, 1st century BC) mentions that Dionysius of Syracuse founded a "city called ''Lissos''" in the year 385 BC, as part of a strategy by Dionysius to secure Syracusan trade routes along the Adriatic.Evans, A., Destani, B.
''Ancient Illyria, an archeological exploration''
IB Tauris, 2007. p. 276.
Diodorus calls it a
polis ''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''poleis'' (, , ), literally means "city" in Greek. In Ancient Greece, it originally referred to an administrative and religious city center, as distinct from the rest of the city. Later, it also ...
. It has been suggested that the
Syracusan Syracuse ( ; it, Siracusa ; scn, Sarausa ), ; grc-att, Συράκουσαι, Syrákousai, ; grc-dor, Συράκοσαι, Syrā́kosai, ; grc-x-medieval, Συρακοῦσαι, Syrakoûsai, ; el, label=Modern Greek, Συρακούσε� ...
colony mentioned by Diodorus was in fact more likely established at Issa near the island of
Pharos The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria (; Ancient Greek: ὁ Φάρος τῆς Ἀλεξανδρείας, contemporary Koine ), was a lighthouse built by the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, during the re ...
, not at Lissus (modern Lezhë) which was too distant for the events described by the ancient historian. Meanwhile, Issa is known from other evidence to be a Syracusan foundation. Pierre Cabanes notes that there is nothing to connect Lissos with Syracuse except Diodorus' account, and even if Diodorus' account is accepted as accurate, it is very likely that this colony had a short life. The earliest of the fortification walls of the proto-urban settlement are of typical Illyrian construction and are dated to the late 4th century BC. The transition from the Iron Age fortification of Acrolissus (on the 413 m ''Shëlbuem'' mountain) to the proper Illyrian city of Lissus was continuous. The city was built on a lower hill (172 m) near the Iron Age fortification. It was surrounded by ramparts that faced the low valley of the Drin river and the sea coast. Its function was to guard the route inland, to ensure defense against possible attacks from the sea, and to furnish a secure anchorage for the Illyrian ships. By the 3rd century BC, Lissus was one of the main cities of the
Illyrian kingdom The Illyrian Kingdom is the name of a country that existed on the Western part of the Balkan Peninsula in ancient times and represented an alliance of Illyrian tribes. History In southern Illyria organized realms were formed earlier ...
under the Ardiaean and Labeatan dynasties. In the 228 BC peace treaty with Rome, the Illyrian queen
Teuta Teuta ( Illyrian: *''Teutana'', 'mistress of the people, queen'; grc, Τεύτα; lat, Teuta) was the queen regent of the Ardiaei tribe in Illyria, who reigned approximately from 231 BC to 228/227 BC. Following the death of her spouse Agr ...
promised not to sail south of Lissus at the mouth of the Drin river with more than two ''
lembi The lemb, ''lembus'' or ''lembos'' ( grc, λέμβος, ''lembos''; la, lembus) was an ancient wide term covering a range of small ships, which were used for different purposes, both civilian and military. It was small and light, with a low fre ...
'' (Illyrian light ships), even those had to be unarmed. But when Rome was engaged in a war against the
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foo ...
peoples of the Po Valley in northern
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
about the years 225–222 BC, Illyrian commander Demetrius detached the Atintani tribe from their alliance with Rome. Moreover, he sailed south of Lissus and engaged in piracy in violation of the 228 BC peace treaty. In the summer of 221 BC, tensions in
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...
increased as
Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled ...
ia allied with the
Achaean League The Achaean League ( Greek: , ''Koinon ton Akhaion'' "League of Achaeans") was a Hellenistic-era confederation of Greek city states on the northern and central Peloponnese. The league was named after the region of Achaea in the northwestern P ...
against the Aetolian League, and the Illyrians attacked in their typical manner. Demetrius and
Scerdilaidas Scerdilaidas or Skerdilaid ( grc, Σκερδιλαΐδας; ruled 218206 BC) was an Illyrian ruler of the Illyrian kingdom under the Labeatan dynasty. Before taking the throne, Scerdilaidas was commander of the Illyrian armies and played a majo ...
sailed with 90 ''lembi'' south of Lissus. When they failed an assault on Pylos (western Peloponnese), they separated their fleets and Scerdilaidas returned north with 40 ships, while Demetrius plundered the Cyclades with 50 ships. In Roman times Lissus was located in a territory inhabited by the Labeatae, however ancient sources never relate it with this tribe. Taking in account archaeological and historical considerations, the city of Lissus should have been founded in a Labeatan context, but perhaps by the time of Teuta's fall in the end of the 3rd century BC, on a Greek model it was organized as a ''
polis ''Polis'' (, ; grc-gre, πόλις, ), plural ''poleis'' (, , ), literally means "city" in Greek. In Ancient Greece, it originally referred to an administrative and religious city center, as distinct from the rest of the city. Later, it also ...
'' turning away from its ethnic context. The dissociation from the ethnic to the ''polis'' coincided with
Philip V of Macedon Philip V ( grc-gre, Φίλιππος ; 238–179 BC) was king ( Basileus) of Macedonia from 221 to 179 BC. Philip's reign was principally marked by an unsuccessful struggle with the emerging power of the Roman Republic. He would lead Macedon a ...
's conquest of a number of cities in Illyria. In 211 BC, Philip V captured Acrolissus, the
citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...
of Lissus, and Lissos surrendered to him, becoming the Macedonian outlet to the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to th ...
. The town was later recovered by the Illyrians. It was in Lissus that Perseus of Macedon negotiated an alliance against Rome with the Illyrian king
Gentius Gentius ( grc, Γένθιος, "Génthios"; 181168 BC) was an Illyrian king who belonged to the Labeatan dynasty. He ruled in 181–168 BC, being the last attested Illyrian king. He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept positive relati ...
, and it was from Lissus that Gentius organized his army against the Romans. Lissus maintained a large degree of municipal autonomy under both Macedonian and Illyrian rule, as evidenced by the coins minted there. During the reign of
Gentius Gentius ( grc, Γένθιος, "Génthios"; 181168 BC) was an Illyrian king who belonged to the Labeatan dynasty. He ruled in 181–168 BC, being the last attested Illyrian king. He was the son of Pleuratus III, a king who kept positive relati ...
in the first half of the 2nd century BC, Lissus minted coins for the Illyrian ruler. The city was of some importance in the Roman Civil War, being taken by Marc Antony and then remaining loyal to Caesar. In Roman times, the city was part of the province of
Epirus Nova sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinric ...
,


Middle ages

During the reign of
Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized '' renov ...
(527-565) the local fortress was possibly mentioned as ''Alistion'' in the Synecdemus of Hierocles. At early 590s Lissus was captured by Slavic populations.
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
control was re-established during the early 9th century. Albanian lord
Vladislav Jonima Vladislav Jonima ( 1303–19) was an Albanian nobleman that initially served Serbian King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321), holding areas of the Kingdom of Serbia in the region of Doclea and northern Albania. He was last mentioned in 1319, as a par ...
of the
Jonima family The Jonima family ( sq, Gjonima) was an Albanian noble family that held a territory around Lezhë (northern Albania), as a vassal of Arbër, Serbia and Ottoman Empire, active in the 13th to 15th centuries. The Jonima, like most Albanian noble ...
was acknowledged by the Pope as a ruler of a territory around Lezhë in 1319. He had the title of ''Count of Dioclea and of the seaside Albania''. At the end of the 14th century, Albanian lord Dhimitër Jonima was lord of a territory between Mat and Lezhë. In the Middle Ages, Lezha (known in Italian as Alessio) frequently changed masters until the Venetians took possession of it in 1386. It still belonged to them when Skanderbeg died, but In 1478 it fell into the hands of Turks during the siege of Shkodra, except for a short period (1501–1506) when it returned to Venetian domination.Catholic Encyclopedia, article "Alessio (Lissus, Alexiensis)"
/ref> Because it was under the Venetian control, it was chosen in 1444 by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg as a neutral place for the convention of Albanian nobles and lords of the area aiming at organizing their common defence against the Turks. Lezha was the site of the League of Lezhë where
Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...
united the
Albanian princes Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
in the fight against the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
. Skanderbeg was buried in the cathedral of Lezhë which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas and later used as
Selimie Mosque Selimiye may refer to: * Selimiye Mosque (disambiguation), the name of various mosques. * Selimiye Barracks, in Istanbul, Turkey * Selimiye (Antalya), a village in Antalya Province, near Manavgat and Side, Turkey * Selimiye (Marmaris), a village in ...
.


Contemporary

Today Lezhë is a growing city. Its proximity to the port of Shëngjin as well as its location on the national road between the Montenegrin border to the North and Tirana to the South makes it an attractive location for industry and business. Majority of the people from Lezhë descend from the Zadrima, Mirdita and
Malësia Malësia e Madhe ("Great Highlands"), known simply as Malësia ( sq, Malësia, cnr, / ), is a historical and ethnographic region in northern Albania and eastern central Montenegro corresponding to the highlands of the geographical subdivision ...
/
Malësi e madhe Malësi e Madhe () is a municipality in Shkodër County, in northwestern Albania. The municipality consists of the administrative units of Gruemirë, Kastrat, Kelmend, Qendër, Shkrel with Koplik Koplik (also known as Koplik i Poshtëm) is ...
regions of northwestern Albania. The people from Zadrima and Mirdita are native to Lezhë and the surrounding area. The Malësor clans from Malësia, such as Kelmendi, Shkreli, and Kastrati had settled Lezhë and surrounding areas around 100–300 years ago. In terms of religion, Lezha has a Catholic majority (70-80%) and a Muslim minority (30-20%).


Geography

Lezhë Municipality lies within
Lezhë County Lezhë County ( sq, Qarku i Lezhës) is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population as of 2021 was 120,678, in an area of 1620 km².
as part of the Northern Region of Albania and consists of the adjacent administrative units of
Balldre Balldren is a village and a former municipality in the Lezhë County, northwestern Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Euro ...
n, Blinisht, Dajç, Kallmet, Kolsh, Shëngjin, Shënkoll, Ungrej, Zejmen with Lezhë constituting the municipal seat. The municipality spans between the Plain of Zadrima in the north, the Pukë-Mirditë Highlands in the east, the mouth of the Mat River in the south and the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast in the west. It covers 509.1 km2.


Climate

As of the
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...
, Lezhë falls under the periphery of the hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) zone with an average annual temperature of .


Infrastructure

There are urban buses throughout the city and international and national buses. Lezhe has a train station not far from the center. The line starts in Durrës and ends in Shkodër. It is functional but not frequently. The main highway in Lezhe is SH 1, connecting it with Shkodër to the north and the
Durrës-Kukës Highway The A1 ( sq, Autostrada A1 or Autostradë A1), also commonly Rruga e Kombit or SH10, is the longest and only toll motorway in Albania, stretching in the counties of Lezhë and Kukës. It consists for the most part of two traffic lanes and a ...
(A1, intersection at Milot) to the south. The SH32 connects Lezhe with Shëngjin on the coast.


Demography

The population of the municipality of Lezhë at the 2011 census was 65,633, of which 15,510 in the city proper.


Culture

The
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club is KS Besëlidhja Lezhë. Although primarily concerned with football, KS Besëlidhja also participates in sports such as
wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...
and beach volleyball. From 2004 an excavation started around the ancient Acropolis of Lissos and the Skanderbeg Memorial, which revealed Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine buildings, tombs and other findings.Karl-Franzens Universitat, Lissus excavation report 2004.


Notable people

*
Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...
, the National Hero of Albania * Antonio Bruti, 16th century merchant and diplomat * Anton Kryezezi, Bishop of Lezhë * Lekë Dukagjini, prince * Jonima (Gjoni) family noble family *
Gjergj Fishta Gjergj Fishta (; 23 October 187130 December 1940) was an Albanian Franciscan friar, poet, educator, politician, rilindas, translator and writer. He is regarded as one of the most influential Albanian writers of the 20th century due to his epi ...
, Catholic priest and poet * Ndoc Gjetja, poet * Henri Ndreka, soccer player, capped with
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...
* Robert Grizha, soccer player * Erjon Dushku, soccer player * Renato Malota, soccer player * Ornel Gega, rugby union player * Tosol Bardhi, 16th century Albanian Catholic Priest.


See also

* List of settlements in Illyria * List of mayors of Lezhë


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


lezha.gov.al
fficial Website {{DEFAULTSORT:Lezhe Cities in Albania Municipalities in Lezhë County Administrative units of Lezhë Illyrian Albania Cities in ancient Illyria Archaeology of Illyria Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Albania Hellenistic Albania Towns in Albania Populated places established in the 4th century BC