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Religious heritage comes back into focus at the Museum of Medieval Art

2025-09-25 10:56:00, Kulturë CNA

As part of the European Cultural Heritage Days, the National Museum of Medieval Art in Korça has opened its doors to a rare exhibition dedicated to religious publications that have been preserved for centuries in its museum collection.

In the museum's spaces, visitors have the opportunity to see for the first time up close a precious collection of books, gospels, and church services, which were once part of the country's most important churches and cathedrals.

The exhibition brings to attention not only the spiritual and cultural values ??of the city, but also the history of progressive people who contributed with valuable gifts, enriching not only religious institutions, but also the heritage of the entire community.

The director of the National Museum of Medieval Art, Fjoralba Prifti, explains that this year's collection includes about 25 gospels, coming from various churches in Albania. One of the oldest works is the Gospel of 1737, which was once kept in the Ristozi Church in Mborje and is today being exhibited for the first time after many centuries.

"Within the framework of the European Cultural Heritage Days, the National Museum of Medieval Art carries out an activity every year and the activity selected for this year is religious publications throughout the centuries, the collection of this museum. The collection consists of gospels, service books, which we have inherited from different churches, from all over Albania. We are exhibiting them for the first time after many centuries. This is an innovation that we bring every year, by exhibiting objects, often for the first time from part of the collection of the National Museum of Medieval Art. In our museum there are up to 25 gospels", says Prifti.

The exhibition also includes a gospel donated by the renowned philanthropist of Korça, Anastas Lakçe. He not only donated holy books, but also contributed financial aid to the city's poor, leaving behind a valuable legacy of humanism and faith.

"Meanwhile, the oldest work is the Gospel from the Church of Ristozi in Mborje, which dates back to 1737. Meanwhile, we also have a new gospel donated by Anastas Lakçe, who was one of the great philanthropists of our city, where along with the Gospel, he donated a lot of francs to the Church of the Metropolitanate of Korcë for all the poor, which will be used in various ways, in addition to the many, many gifts he has made to the city of Korcë," says the Priest.

Another novelty is the New Testament, donated by the family of Ilia Pitko Bratko. This holy book was kept secretly in the basement of their house for many years during the dictatorship, to avoid the bans and punishments of the then regime. Today, after decades, this work has been donated to the museum with the great desire for everyone to see it, local and foreign visitors, but also the younger generations, as a strong testimony to the survival of faith and culture.

The exhibition of the National Museum of Medieval Art is not simply an exhibition of objects, but a living journey through history, where each book carries within it not only sacred scriptures, but also stories of people who sacrificed and contributed to preserving and passing on this heritage.

This activity, which is organized annually by the museum within the framework of the European Cultural Heritage Days, proves that Korça continues to be an important center of culture, civic spirit and the preservation of historical memory, giving the public the opportunity to discover treasures that until yesterday were hidden behind the doors of the archives./CNA