Discovery of an ancient villa suspends the reconstruction of the school in Durrës

Last week's rainfall has partially flooded some of the archaeological discovery squares in the area where the "Gjergj Kastrioti" school in Durrës was previously built.

To preserve the excavated surface, just as before the expedition, importance has been given to the water drainage system throughout the territory.

Specialists have taken special care to preserve the mosaics discovered last summer, but the large amount of rainfall has taken its toll on some of the spaces.

The future of this territory has not yet been decided, although the professional excavation report was presented six months ago.

The National Council for Cultural Heritage (NCCH) has not yet determined whether the current archaeological discovery will be preserved and conserved in its entirety, or whether the "Gjergj Kastrioti" high school, which collapsed after the 2019 earthquake, will be built on part of the surface.

At the entrance to the construction site, which has been closed since July 2024, the initial decision sign continues to be read, which announces the financiers: the European Union and the UNDP (United Nations Programme) with the amount of 237 million lek.

From information that has remained unchanged for 3 years, it is learned that the construction work on the school would be completed in 2023, but the archaeological discovery has postponed the initial decision indefinitely.

Students and teachers have been conducting lessons in other schools for 5 years, while a decision on a possible construction is still pending.

Fatmir Tila, a former student of this school, told BIRN that the "Gjergj Kastrioti" school was damaged by the devastating earthquake of November 26, 2019, just one year after celebrating the 50th anniversary of its construction.

"Since the school was demolished, students have been learning in alternative buildings under abnormal conditions. I completed my full cycle of classes in the old school building, while my daughter officially graduated from the same school, but she did not get to see the old 'Gjergj Kastrioti' building," said Tila.

The decision to build a new building was blocked when, on the 1,200 square meter territory where the school, damaged by the devastating earthquake of November 2019, was once located, a series of important objects were discovered, including baths, three mosaics in good condition, another damaged, as well as a series of frescoes that served as the side of a swimming pool.

Around 300 discovered coins, belonging to different periods and productions, shed light on different periods of the economic life of the coastal city.

Last summer, a total of 25 archaeologists and conservators worked in the research area, a group led by Prof. Luan Përzhita.

So far, only half of the full surface area of ​​the Roman-period villa is known, which is thought to amount to 2,500 square meters.

Specialists are convinced that the KKTK decision will preserve the current discovery, while there is still no defined future related to the possible construction of the school on the same area.

The Roman villa is located about 300 meters from the ancient amphitheater and, according to archaeologists, the tourist guide can start at the largest monument in our country and continue towards the coast.

Its construction in the 1st century AD seems to be related to the increase in the number of spectators in the amphitheater.

The first expedition, in the middle of last year, also attracted the interest of the municipality, as well as that of the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation for the last expedition in Durrës, but there is no final decision yet.

Although 6 months have passed since the submission of the report, the KKTK has not decided on coexistence with the future school, nor on its full use as an archaeological park.

Of the 49 educational institutions damaged by the 2019 earthquake, only two unbuilt schools currently remain in the Municipality of Durrës, one of which is "Gjergj Kastrioti", which is awaiting the decision of the cultural institutions./ BIRN