The Presidential Palace ( Alb. Pallati presidencial ), formerly known as the Royal Palace ( Alb. Pallati mbretëror ), as well as the Palace of Brigades ( Alb. Pallati i Brigadave ), is the official residence of the President of Albania . It was built by order of the King of Albania, Ahmet Zogu , as his official residence.
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In 1945, he ceased to serve as a royal residence, since instead of a monarchy a communist regime was established in the country. Since 1946, the building has been used by the Albanian government for official ceremonies and government receptions. In 2013, the palace again became the official residence when President Buyar Nishani and his family moved to a reconstructed villa on the territory of the palace complex [2] .
The palace is designed in a rationalized architectural style, being unique in its way not only in Albania, but also among all fascist architecture , including Italy itself [3] . Its bas-reliefs were covered with draperies in the 1970s during the cultural revolution, but were not destroyed. Nevertheless, the palace is still in urgent need of restoration [3] . The description of the new (and unfinished) Royal Palace at that time appeared in the issue of Life magazine dated May 22, 1939.
Content
- 1 History
- 2 Gardens
- 3 Question of ownership
- 4 notes
- 5 Links
History
The idea to build a royal palace on one of the hills of Sauka, next to what would later become the Great Park of Tirana , was first proposed by the King of Albania, Zogu I in the 1930s. Due to the limited funds of the nascent Albanian state, the then Minister of Finance Mifit Libohova began negotiations with a group of Italian financiers represented by Mario Alberti. An agreement was concluded to open a national bank and a loan of 50 million gold francs (approximately 10 million gold dollars). Part of this loan, also called a “CBEA loan," was intended to build the king’s official residence. The new palace was designed by three Italian architects, including Giulio Berthe . Due to the outbreak of World War II and the Italian invasion of Albania in 1939, King Zogu I fled the country and was not able to see the palace completely built. The Italians completed the construction and used the palace primarily as the headquarters of the army. The building was reconstructed and completed in 1941 by the Florentine architect Gerardo Bosio [4] .
The building performed the function of the royal palace only once, during the only visit of the King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, to Albania in May 1941 [3] . During the remaining period of World War II, it served as the official residence for Francesco Giacomoni , first vice-king, and later for his successor, fascist general Alberto Pariani [3] . Both lived there with their families. After the surrender of Italy in September 1943, an Albanian officer who served in the palace hid the palace’s official flag from the Germans and sent it to Italy, where it remained until 2003, when it was bought by Artan Lame and returned to Albania [3] . After the German occupation of the country in September 1943, the Albanian parliament gathered in the palace and proclaimed the separation of the Albanian crown from the Italian crown [3] .
In 1945, the palace was renamed the Palace of Brigades, a name that remained in use throughout the entire communist regime in Albania [5] . It is still widely used by locals and the Albanian media. In communist Albania, the palace served primarily as a government institution. In 1992, after the fall of the regime, the building was renamed the Presidential Palace.
In January 2010, the municipal authorities of Tirana proposed to open part of the palace to the general public [3] .
On October 8, 2016, the Albanian authorities allowed the candidate for the throne of Albania, Leke II, to organize a wedding reception in the palace on the occasion of his marriage to Elia Zakharia [6] .
Gardens
Due to its location near the Tirana Great Park, the palace gardens are also quite extensive. The Presidential Palace is surrounded by trees within 200 meters of itself. The palace complex also has its own tennis court.
Property Question
In February 2013, Leka Zogu , an aspirant to the throne of Albania, calling himself the Crown Prince of Albania, initiated a lawsuit alleging that he was the rightful owner of the presidential palace. He assured that the property belonged personally to Ahmet Zog, and thus Prince Lek retained his right of ownership as his heir [7] .
Leka Zogu claimed to have confirmed his ownership of the building following a decision of the Supreme Court of Albania of August 2013 [8] , and announced that the palace would become the main official residence of the Royal Court of Albania ( Alb. Oborri Mbretëror Shqiptar ) [9] . But as of 2016, the palace continued to be in the possession of the government and serve as the official residence of the President of the Republic of Albania , hosting state receptions and ceremonies such as the annual Presidential Ball at the end of the year [10] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Monuments database - 2017.
- ↑ Pas zgjedhjeve Nishani ndërron banesë unopened (unavailable link) . Date accessed May 23, 2019. Archived March 24, 2016.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Budini, Belina . Pallati i Brigadave ose fantazma e një pallati mbretëror (alb.) , Shekulli (October 29, 2004). Circulation date May 23, 2019.
- ↑ Albanian Presidential Palace returns to the public . Independent Balkan News Agency (April 17, 2015). Circulation date May 23, 2019.
- ↑ KosPress . Topi uron nga pallati i Brigadave, mbështet Kosovën (Alb.) , Kosova Press , Kosova Press (November 28, 2008). Circulation date May 23, 2019.
- ↑ Dasma përrallore e Princ Leka II, detajet e darkës dhe të ftuarit mbretërorë
- ↑ Artikull Panorama: Padia në Gjykatë - Leka Zogu körkon pronësinë e Pallatit të Brigadave / Archived February 1, 2014.
- ↑ Artikull Metropol: Leka Zogu II merr vilat e gjyshit në Shirokë
- ↑ YouTube Declaration
- ↑ Ja cfare ndodhi në "Ballon Presidenciale"