The house of Father Gjergj Fishta

Father Gjergj Fishta (October 23, 1871 – December 30, 1940) was an Albanian Franciscan friar, poet, educator, politician, translator and writer. His multifaceted contributions included subjects of literature, education, politics and national identity, leaving a deep mark on Albanian culture. He very boldly addressed topics of sociology, linguistics, religion, culture and art, communication and education, morality, education and science as well as the complexity of family relationships.
He was not only a poet, publicist and outstanding intellectual, but also a patriot who worked for the common Albanian language, being also the chairman of the Albanian Alphabet Commission at the Congress of Manastir (1908).
Fishta participated in the political life of the country, being the deputy of Shkodra in the first Albanian Parliament (1921 -1923) and its vice president. Previously, he had been part of the Albanian delegation at the Peace Conference in Paris (1919).
Despite his contributions, Fishta's life and work would fall into sudden obscurity when the communists took power in November 1944 and was considered taboo for forty-six years.
However and above all, Father Gjergj Fishta is considered one of the most influential Albanian writers in the first half of the 20th century, especially for his epic masterpiece Lahuta e Malësë (Highland Flute) which contains about 17,000 verses with many Albanian researchers calling it as the Albanian Iliad.
Father Gjergj Fishte's house is located in Fishta e Poshtme and was built at the highest point of "Kodra e Lekiçëve" (Hill of Lekiçëve). It is a characteristic house of the eastern area of Zadrima region and represents the house typology of the northwestern plain of Albania. It was built at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the XX century, but it was remodeled and adapted in the ’30s and later in the 70s. Although it is not distinguished by a special architecture or sophisticated construction technique, the house has an extraordinary historical and symbolic value, since it was owned by Father Gjergj Fishta's family members and especially because in the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, he came often here to visit his family.
The small room where he regularly stayed is located on the second floor, facing south and located above the main entrance of the house. By his relatives this room is widely known as “Uncle’s Room”.
The house presents a simple rectangular layout built mainly of limestone. It is 6.55 m high and consists of two floors with 5 rooms that are illuminated by 8 large Dalmatian-Venetian type windows.
The house that is was declared a Category II Cultural Monument in 2008 it is completely restored and rehabilitated in 2020 thanks to a private donation, taking on the final look we see today. It represents a rare asset of the Albanian Cultural Heritage not only for the connection with the most prominent figure of national literature, but also as architectural evidence of the traditional dwellings of Zadrima region area.