Tourists from the United States, France, Spain and Italy shared their impressions while visiting Gjirokaster Castle, highlighting the city’s rich heritage and distinctive character.

“I came here to visit Gjirokaster Castle. It is really beautiful and has a very rich history, dating back several centuries. That makes the city really interesting,” said an American visitor.

She said the visit had given her an opportunity to see first-hand elements of the past and how traditions and historic landmarks had been preserved across generations.

French visitors also praised the city and castle, singling out their history and architecture as well as Albanian cuisine.

“We visited the castle, which is full of interesting history. It is beautiful, as is the city as a whole. We also really enjoyed the food. We had tavë kosi (yogurt and lamb casserole) and moussaka,” they said.

Visitors from Spain were particularly impressed by the castle’s history and architecture, while describing the surrounding landscape as a place to relax.

“We are here to visit this beautiful castle. We read that it is also linked to World War Two, and its history and architecture are very interesting. The city is beautiful, and the landscape we can see from here is wonderful. You can really relax, and we also enjoyed the food,” a tourist from Barcelona said.

An Italian visitor said even a short stay had been enough to appreciate the city’s appeal.

“Unfortunately, we stayed for only one day, but it was enough to see the beauty of the city. Both the castle and the surrounding nature were truly precious. The landscape is very beautiful,” she said.

For foreign visitors, Gjirokaster offers a combination of history, architecture, nature and cuisine, making it one of the destinations drawing tourists to southern Albania.

Gjirokaster Castle, the historic city and the surrounding landscape remain among the area’s main attractions, contributing to efforts to promote Albania’s cultural heritage and tourism.

/e.i/a.f/r.e/u.sh/

For this Christian community, Christmas is one of the most important holidays of the year.

Lucia Martino, an Arbëresh community activist, writer and global promoter of Arbëresh cuisine, told Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) about the community’s Christmas traditions.

“For us, Christmas is a very important celebration. First, we put up the tree and prepare the Nativity scene with the manger. On this occasion, the community takes part in the repeated nine-day prayers (the novenas), through which people ask God to fulfill a wish. Christmas is also a time to strengthen bonds among Arbëresh people,” Lucia said.

In the days leading up to the holiday, songs dedicated to the newborn Christ are sung, strictly in the Arbëresh language. Starting on December 23, especially in large families, people gather to prepare Christmas sweets (such as scalette, crustuli and others). Lucia explains that Christmas desserts are mainly fried in oil, while Easter sweets are baked in the oven.

“On Christmas Eve, the table is set according to tradition, which requires seven different dishes. That night, everything must be meat-free. In the past, spaghetti with breadcrumbs and anchovies were prepared – a simple but flavourful cuisine that is still followed today,” explained Martino, who is a master of Arbëresh gastronomy and has written several books to ensure that Arbëresh culinary culture is not lost.

A dish that never fails to appear on Christmas Eve is dried cod (baccalà), along with radicchio, broccoli and small fried fish that are inexpensive, symbolically linking the meal to the family of Nazareth and Christ’s birth in poverty. Sweets are also placed on the table, to be enjoyed throughout the festive period.

“In my family, pancakes were always present at Christmas – the same ones you have as well,” Martino said. She also mentioned the typical Christmas Eve sweet known as giuggiulena, a confection similar to sesame, almond and honey brittle.

Christmas Day lunch, meanwhile, features homemade pasta, oven-baked kid goat with potatoes, fruit and the sweets prepared earlier. Panettone, she noted, entered the Arbëresh Christmas table tradition at a later stage.

Asked about religious belief, Martino said the Arbëresh are Catholics in the sense that they are under the authority of the Pope.

“But we follow the Byzantine rite, and our Eparchy of Lungro (Eparchia di Lungro) has been officially recognized since 1919. We celebrate using our own liturgy in the Arbëresh or Greek language,” she said.

More than a century ago, the Vatican paid closer attention to the situation of Byzantine-rite believers following their persistent requests for the appointment of a bishop in Calabria and another in Sicily, each with full territorial jurisdiction.

1 of 4

/a.f/u.sh/

“As the tourist destination with the champion growth, Albania is being confirmed as a “food paradise” for foreign visitors”, wrote Rama.

“The German giant Deustche Welle has produced a reportage in Tirana about the tastes of Albania, a gastronomic guide that attracts all those who visit our country with the smell of Turkish coffee, the unique Mediterranean feeling conveyed by the Tirana egg-and-cheese fry, the arapash, i.e. a mixture of flour and lamb as cooked in the south and the taste that leaves strong traces in the memory like the flija, i.e. the special pie of the north”, emphasized the prime minister./r.e/p.s./

The agri-food sector, which has always been one of Italy’s strengths, is certainly one of the sectors from which the economy can restart after the pandemic, promoting the country’s excellence and appreciating “Made in Italy” products, as synonymous with quality and safety.

The organizers have divided this event into three evenings. They will have different locations while there will be given importance to promotion of the Italian lifestyle and culture, in the company of a typical Italian menu with aperitif tastings and music by the Italian band No Trio for Cats.

The theme for 2022 is about vibrancy, sustainability and innovation, as ingredients of Italian cuisine for good health and protecting the planet./p.s./