Durrësi Demo
Self-Guided Audio Tour

Durrës, is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania. It is one of Albania's ancient cities with more than 2,500 years of recorded history. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast, between the mouths of the Erzen and Ishëm, at the southeastern corner of the Adriatic Sea. Durrës' climate is profoundly influenced by a seasonal Mediterranean climate. Durrës was founded by Ancient Greek colonists from Corinth and Corcyra, under the name of Epidamnos around the 7th century BC, in cooperation with the local Illyrian Taulanti. Also known as Dyrrachium, it essentially developed and became an integral part of the Roman Empire, and its successor the Byzantine Empire. The Eastern Roman Emperor Anastasius the first, was born into an Illyrian family in Durrës. In the Middle Ages, Durrës was contested between Bulgarian, Venetian and Ottoman dominions. The Ottomans ultimately prevailed, ruling the city for more than 400 years, from 1501 until 1912. Following the Albanian Declaration of Independence, the city served as the capital of the Principality of Albania for a short period of time. Subsequently, it was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy in the interwar period and was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War 2. Durrës experienced a strong expansion in its demography and economic activity during the Communism in Albania. The transport connections, concentration of economic institutions, and industrial tradition underlie it's leading economic position in Albania. It is served by the Port of Durrës, one of the largest on the Adriatic Sea, which connects the city to other neighboring countries.

The Amphitheatre of Durrës, is a Roman Amphitheater, in the Center of the city of Durrës. Construction began under the emperor Trayan, in the 2nd century AD, and it was destroyed twice by earthquakes, in the 6th and 10th centuries. It is the largest Roman Amphitheater ever built in the Balkan Peninsula, having a capacity of 20,000 people. The Amphitheater is included on the tentative list of Albanian UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was discovered in late 1966, and has since become a popular tourist attraction. The Amphitheater was built in the beginning of the 2nd century AD, and was used for performances until the 4th century AD. The earthquake of 345-346 likely damaged the monument, and closed the gladiator arena. An early Christian chapel was constructed on the Amphitheater in the second half of the 4th century. The chapel was initially decorated with frescoes. In the 6th century, mosaics were added. A medieval chapel was built in the 13th century, also decorated with frescoes. The Amphitheater was covered over in the 16th century, after the Ottoman occupation, when a wall was built nearby. About one third of the site was discovered and excavated in the 1960s. The rest was excavated in the 1980s. In 2004, the University of Parma started restoration work to save the monument.

The Venetian Tower (known as Torra in Albanian language), is one of the main towers that composes the walls of the castle. It was constructed during the Venetian domination of Durres (1392-1501). It has a diameter of 16 meters, and a height of 9 meters. It is equipped with 5 turrets and 3 alcoves. The interior is built with bricks. A staircase in stone is found within, with steep and narrow steps. Used in the past as a weaponry magazine for the army and a base for guarding the port and the bay of Durres; Now it serves as a bar with an art gallery. After the earthquake of 26 November 2019, it was abandoned for 2 years and risked its destruction from the humidity and vegetation. Nowadays, the embassy of EU in Albania, together with Ministry of Culture have started the restoration of the Venetian Tower. Soon the tower will become a popular touristic attraction and a digital heritage interpretation center.

For many years it was the Cathedral of the diocese of Durrës. It is dedicated to Saint Lucia, virgin and martyr. This Church was not destroyed by the communist regime, and after communism the services were restored. This Church was restored by the Bari Bitonto Diocese in 1992-1993. The church took the name of Saint Lucia before the Ottoman conquest. Saint Lucia was a 3rd century martyr from Syracuse, Sicily. The church itself was built in 1868, by the Austro-Hungarians, who were in charge of the Catholic church during this period. The church became known during the period of the declaration of independence, where Dom Nikollë Kacorri was appointed as parish priest {1893}. Dom Nikolla gave it a new lease of life, seeing it not only as a temple in honor of God, but also as a center of understanding and interfaith cooperation, as a training school for Albanian teachers, as a school for learning the Albanian language, and spreading it of the Albanian patriotic press. Not only that, but Dom Nikola collaborated with the Albanian sailors to provide weapons for the Albanian insurgents. The patriotic activity of Dom Nikola culminated as a representative of the people of Durrës in the Assembly of Vlora on November 28, 1912. The remains of Dom Nikola rest in this church. In 1937, the Church of St. Lucia was declared the cathedral of the Diocese of Durrës and in 1939, after the death of Monsignor Pjetër Gjura. During the communist period, Father Prenush, who served in this church, was arrested and tortured until he died in the notorious prisons. At the same time, Dom Anton Zogaj, parish priest of Saint Lucia, and Monsignor Jul Bonatti were sentenced. Their remains, along with those of Father Vincenzo, have been placed inside the altar of the church, following their declaration as Martyrs of the Catholic Church on November 5, 2016. From 1967 to 1991, St. Lucia's Church served as a puppet theater. In 1991, Monsignor Damian Kurti revived church life in this building, while Mother Teresa herself participated several times in the celebration of the Holy Mass. After the death of Father Damian, the service in the church was taken over by Monsignor Gjergj Meta, who served for several years. During this time, the restoration of the Church was done with funds from the diocese of Cologne. Cathedral Church of Saint Lucia celebrated its 150th anniversary, on April 21, 2018.

Dom Nikollë Kaçorri (21 February 1862 – 29 May 1917), was a prominent figure of the National Renaissance of Albania. A signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence, Dom Kaçorri served as Deputy Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Albania, after the independence. He was born in 1862, in Lurë, now in Dibër municipality. He trained for the priesthood in Troshan near Lezha, and studied theology in Italy. On his return to Albania in 1895, he began work as a parish priest in Durrës. In the early years of the twentieth century, Kaçorri was increasingly involved in the nationalist movement, and was one of the organizers of an armed uprising in Kurbin, Krujë and Mirditë in 1905–07. In 1906, as a man of the cloth, he was made protonotary apostolic. In 1907, Kaçorriwas a member of the nationalist Vllaznia society, meaning Brotherhood, in Durrës, Also co-founded the Bashkimi society, meaning Unity, in 1909. In November 1908, he took part in the Congress of Manasteer, which was held to decide on an Albanian alphabet. In 1910, during an uprising in Kurbin in which he was involved, he was arrested by the Ottoman authorities for sedition and was sentenced four years in prison, it was soon reduced to 13 months. In November 1912 Kaçorri voluntarily accompanied Ismail Qemali on his way to Albania, and was present at the declaration of Albanian independence in Vlorë, as a representative of Durrës. There, he was made deputy prime minister in the first provisional government, but resigned in March 1913 after marked difference with Qemali. Kaçorri left Albania at the end of the 1913, and met Prince Wied in Berlin in January 1914. On 28 February 1914, he was in Vienna with an Albanian deputation that was received by the Austrian emperor at Schönbrunn Palace. He was to spend the rest of his life in Vienna. In April 1917, though increasingly ravaged by cancer, he took part in another Albanian deputation to pay homage to the emperor in Vienna, but died a month later at the Fürth sanatorium. He was buried on 2 June 1917 at the Vienna Central Cemetery. Nikollë Kachorri's remains were repatriated from Vienna to Tirana almost a century later, on 9 February 2011.