The monastery of Deçan, where the candlestick donated by Skënderbeu is kept

By: Valter Shtylla

The monastery of Deçan is located at the foot of Bjeshke i Nemuna, on the outskirts of the town of Deçan. At the beginning of the Deçani gorge, through which the Bistrica river flows, the monastery is surrounded by chestnut and pine forests, which are bordered by the high and bare ridges of Bjeshke i Nemuna. The historical-tourist resort of this monastery lies between Gjakova and Peja, two of the most popular cities in Kosovo.

The Church of the Monastery of Deçan was built in the years 1327-1335 by the Nemanjid kings, Stefan and Dushani, father Stefan Uroshi III Deçani and his son. This church is a Romanesque-Gothic architectural achievement of the Dalmatian-arbor school of the Dalmatian coast. On the architrave of the southern portal of the church is the inscription of the Arbno architect Dom Vita Çuçi Françeskani. Dom Vita Çuçi was the head monk of the Church of St. Mary in Kotorr, a function that in these parts was generally performed by Arber priests. In our days, the source has been preserved that Dom Vita with 18 Albanian stonemasons built the Church of the Monastery of Deçan.

It is said that for the design of the church of Deçan, the author dom fra Vita was influenced by the typology of the Church of Saint Serxhite Baku, in the village of Shirgj on the Buna river in Shkodër, which was realized by abbot Pjetër Doka from Shkodra. At those times, the ateliers of arborist sculptors and stone carvers in Ulcinj, Tivar, Kotorr, Zare and Split were well-known in Dalmatia. A well-known sculptor was Miho Tivarasi, author of works in the Franciscan Assembly in Ragusa (Dubrovnik), who is thought to have also left his mark on the Church of Deçan. Besides Deçan, his similar motifs are also found in Ragusa and in the Cathedral of Novobërda. In addition to the sources from the Ragusa archive, many foreign researchers also speak about Miho Tivarasi's arboreal origin. The monastery of Deçan, the upper one, was built as a spiritual work of Stefan Uroshit III Deçanski.

In this religious complex, the church represents its main object. At first, the surrounding walls of the monastery were erected, a kind of fortification of the complex, also equipped with the typical defensive towers. Buildings followed with the residences of the monarchs, as well as the refectory and the hospital, which functioned throughout the Middle Ages. The entirety of Deçan Monastery consists of three functional units. The church is an impressive work of architecture and art. The refectory is on the north side and the two-story buildings around the church in the center where the priests' living quarters were located. At the front of the mansions, the transparent gazebos were spaces for relaxation and connection between the rooms.

Fra Vita created this outstanding work of art in the spirit of Western Romano-Gothic architecture. The architectural realization, the fine technique of the walls and pilasters, the carvings of the portals, the plastic of the windows, as well as the wealth and variety of different elements in the interior such as frescoes, iconostasis, candlesticks, etc., rate the Church of the Monastery as one of the most respected works in her gender.

From a technical point of view, the church stands quite solidly, resisting quite well a long period of almost seven centuries. For the special values ​​that the Monastery of Deçan carries on itself as a historical-religious complex, as a work of art and architecture and for its environmental-natural values, in 2004 it was declared a World Cultural Property of all humanity by UNESCO. The most important building of the monastery, after the church, is the refectory, the canteen where food was served to the monarchs. Here, before and after meals, prayers were read. According to sources, the refectory was built at the same time as the church during the XNUMXth century.

Its original form was preserved until the beginning of the 150th century. At that time, the building was larger and more artistically decorated. According to technical traces and documentary sources, it represented a large frescoed hall with a floor of carved stone slabs and marble tables. More than 17 members of the monastery community could be served for lunch at XNUMX large marble tables. A table with a marble armchair is set aside for the abbot, in the center of the apse space in the central hall. According to the sources, apart from the Catholic friar Vita and his craftsmen who built the church, Stefan Uroshi III for the realization of other facilities, such as fortification, housing, etc. he engaged an expert bricklayer, the master master Gjergji with the brothers Dobroslav and Nikolla, who must also be the authors of the construction of the restaurant in the first half of the century. XIV. Over the centuries, the refectory has undergone major changes, mainly due to fires.

It had the biggest interventions during the XVII-XVIII centuries, when its walls were touched. Despite the forced historical transformations, it must be said that the restaurant has basically preserved its original silhouette. The central hall has the shape of a rectangular quadrangle with a length of 32.5 centimeters, a width of 10.5 centimeters and is closed from the south side by a semicircular apse. After the fire caused in the last century, the restaurant was divided into three premises. In the eastern part is the large ceremonial hall, while in the west a smaller canteen environment has been adapted for the monarchs.

Today, the large eastern hall of the refectory has been turned into a museum environment for the display of icons and other movable objects more representative of the monastery, such as candlesticks, crosses, works with wood and stone carvings, etc. Until today, a lot has been written and published about the Monastery of Deçan and its values, both in terms of science and cultural tourism. Apart from these, the Deçani Monastery preserves an oral tradition transmitted through the generations by the archimandrites who have directed this historical religious object.

And, it is this transmitted oral tradition that states that in the large central hall of the refectory there is a centuries-old relic that our National Hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, had donated to this monastery. In this case, it is about the candlestick with a chain about three meters long, hanging in the arch above the entrance to the semicircular apse space, which closes the great hall from the south side. At the end of the chain is mounted a bronze circle, from the center of which eight concentric arms spread out, at the end of which eight candles rose vertically. The candlestick has been treated as a work of art with bronze details beaten with floral shapes.

This gift of Skanderbeg, in addition to expressing his good relations with this monastery, relying on its compositional form, it also follows a historical interpretation, which also supports the fact that the candlestick represents an object of the Kastriot family. The symbol or coat of arms of the Kastriot family above the double-headed eagle has the eight-pointed star. This is clearly seen in his official seal, which is kept in the historical archive of Dubrovnik in Croatia (former Ragusa). We find the eight-pointed star engraved on the tomb of John's son, made by the master Jacopo della Pila, in 1503 in the portico-inner courtyard of the Church of Santa Maria la Nova in Naples.

This work in memory of her grandson was made possible by her grandmother, Donika Kastrioti, Gjergj Kastrioti's wife. On the epitaph plaque dedicated to the grandson, it is written: "Konstantin Kastrioti, buried here, who is of the pure blood and relatives of the king and emperor and noble for the chastity of the docks, for the dignity of the high priest of Isernia who died before his time". Donika Komina, her paternal great-grandmother, made this wonderful tomb in 1500. Two ribs are carved on both sides of the walled tomb, where at half their height, in the field of two shields, are two eagles, above whose heads are distinguished by eight-pointed stars. In various sources it is noted that the star with eight points or more points in the symbols of historical dynasties represents the sun.

Thus, Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander, Leka the Great, used as his symbol the star with 12 and 16 points discovered in the golden relics of his tomb in Vergina of Thessaloniki. Thus, the pointed star represents the sun without giving particular importance to the number of points. In the various historical sources, a connection between Leka the Great and the Kastriots is emphasized, perhaps inherited over the centuries. In another epitaph on the grave of Constantine's brother, Alfonso, also dedicated by grandmother Donika in 1503 in the Real Monastery of San Trinidad in Valencia, Spain, it is written, among other things: "Escandabech was compared to King Alexander of Macedonia".

The Decani candlestick, the helmet and the sword in the Vienna Museum represent rare relics from the Skanderbeg period in the field of material culture. From history we learn that Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeu had close relations with neighboring dynasties and nobles around and near the arboretums. Depending on the case, they were Khrushchev-family ties, military or religious alliances, etc. He had important relations with the Aragonese dynasty of Naples, who also reigned in Valencia, Spain, where, apart from his grandson, Alfons, his wife Donika may have been buried with her knightly escort, which must be proven by archaeological and historical studies. The Kastriot family had established Krustian relations with Slavic princes such as Stefan Crnojevic of Montenegro, Stefan Brankovic of Serbia, etc. The connections of the Kastriots with the monasteries of the Holy Mountain in Thessaloniki are also known, where in the Monastery of Hilandari, John, the father of Skanderbeg, owned the tower of Saint George, called the Pirgu i Albanians, and where his son, Reposhi, was buried. , monarch in that monastery. It is understood that in the context of these normal relations with the neighbors, the gift gesture - the candlestick that Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu sent to the Monastery of Deçan can be explained.

In the religious facilities of the lands of Kosovo, during the centuries of Turkish rule, the institution of guards (voivode) of churches and monasteries was known. Often, during the five centuries of this rule, the well-known local pashalars, the Rrotllat in Prizren, the Begollet in Pejë, the Elez-Pashajt in Gjakovë, the Gjinollet in Pristina, have conflicted with the Turkish central government. In the same way, even the local tribes rebelled against the authorities from time to time.

Properties and titles, even they often confused between feudal lords and rich people, who in many cases involved the peasants in quarrels. These conflicts resulted in anarchy and disorder in these lands, endangering property, livestock, etc. from various predatory attacks. In these circumstances, churches and monasteries were also endangered, especially the richest ones. The events have proven that these objects in Kosovo are protected not only by the guards in charge, but also by their family members as well as by the residents of the nearby villages. In fact, the protection and security of the church, its property and the vicar, with the Kanun, were entrusted to every bajrak family and tribe. In the Church of Deçan, "Vojvoda", was the family of Salih Rrusta, who was about 50 years old in the 90s. Despite the fact that the family had the voivodeship, in fact, the churches protected all the peasants, the tribe or the bajrak, because they could not be protected only by a particular family.

Thus, during the 60th century, the Deçani Monastery was saved by the Gashi tribe from burning and looting, as this object was in their possession. They were called by the voivode of that time Rruste Alija (Father of Salih Rruste). The voivodes had their premises in the monastery's guest houses. For the task they performed, the monastery paid them the fixed remuneration. When guarding alone, he received 80 grosh per month (a ducat) and in cases where two people stayed, the reward for both was XNUMX grosh. The voivodships of the monasteries have often clashed with robbers and various violent people to the point of self-denial.

Guards from Albanian villages are also found in other monasteries in Kosovo. The monastery of Peja was guarded by the family of Zhuj Rugova, while the Church of Devic in Drenica was protected by the family of Behram Vojvoda from the village of Llaushë i Serbica. The guardians - voivods of the monasteries in Kosovo were the logic of the social conditions that have dominated over the centuries in this region. Despite the patriarchal environment, superstitions and cultural level, morale has been high.

He has represented the basic qualities of the Albanian of that time, elevated to the levels of the true cult, reflected with faith, honor, hospitality, manhood and bravery. It was these well-known qualities of the common people that saved these historical cultural moments from destruction. They also reflect the aspect of religious and national tolerance of the Albanians of these parts, a typical social act for the Albanian community, already known by all.