St. Mary's Monastery, Zvërnec

St. Mary's Monastery
Albanian: Manastiri i Shën Mërisë
Albanian: Manastiri i Fjetjes së Hyjëlindëses Mari
Zvërnec Monastery
LocationZvërnec Island, Vlorë County
Albania
Coordinates40°31′02″N 19°24′9″E / 40.51722°N 19.40250°E / 40.51722; 19.40250
Built13th or 14th century
Designated1963[1]

The St. Mary’s Monastery is an Orthodox monastery located on the Zvërnec Island, in the Narta Lagoon near the village of Zvërnec within the municipality of Vlora. It houses a church dedicated to the Dormition of Mary Theotókos.

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.[2]

The complex has been protected as a cultural monument since 1963.[3]

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. ^ Flora, Valbona; Guza, Kamela (2020). III. The coastal village of Zvërnec (PDF). doi:10.36253/978-88-5518-175-4.03. {{cite book}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  3. ^ "Komuniteti Shqiptar per Kultet". kshk.gov.al. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2025-08-21.