Today is a notable day in Albanian history. On January 17, 1468, the Albanian national hero, Gjergjj Kastrioti Skenderbeu, was buried in St Nicholas Church, Lezha.
Skenderbeu was born in 1405 and he and his three brothers were taken hostage by the Turks in 1423. When his father, Gjon, died, three of his sons were poisoned.
Gjergjj, pictured below, was the only one who survived. He joined the Turks’ Ottoman army and did so well he was hailed ‘Chief of the League of the Albanian People’ and was given the name Skenderbeu, after Alexander the Great.
He then re-converted to Christianity, changed sides and was named ‘Champion of Christendom’ by Pope Nicholas V for his successful battles against the Turkish invaders.
He died in 1468 of fever and was buried in Lezha on January 17.
However, the Turks had their revenge. When they took the town at the end of the 15th century they dug up his body in St Nicholas Church, dismembered it and made charms out of his bones.
Today a bronze bust of Skenderbeu stands on the nave floor with replicas of a sword and a helmet.
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