Rubik, Albania
Encyclopedia
Rubik is a municipality located in the central-north of Albania
in the mountainous Mirditë District
along national roadway SH30 which links Tirana
/Lezhë County
with Rrëshen
/Kukes
and the new Durrës-Kosovo auto-strata. The Municipality governs a total surface area of 107 km² and consists of the city of Rubik at its center and eleven peripheral villages: Fang, Katund i Vjeter, Bulshizë, Rasfik, Fierzë, Munaz, Rreja e Velës, Livadhëza, Vau Shkjezë, Rrethi i Eperm, and Rreja e Zezë.
, Robigo or Rubigo was the goddess that protected corn and other crops from diseases such as mildew
and blight
that infected crops, and in who's honor Robigalia
festival was organized each April with people praying to her in order to remove rust from crops. Thus originates the name of Rubik. Early Illyria
n inhabitants of the area performed rituals which were established by the Roman King Numa Pompilius
, yearly on the 25th of April, when farmers would sacrifice a red goat, a red sheep, and offer wine to the goddess. In actuality, the "rust" was not from crops but from the soil of the area due to copper ore and acid waters of which often deadened plants to the very roots.
Kishё e Shelbuemit ne Rubik or the Church of the Ascension in English, is the first building in Rubik that a traveler will notice as they drive along the Fan River. Towering over the small community of Rubik, the Franciscan monastery sits a top a white cliff as if observing the daily activities of the city. Originally established in 1166 as one of four Benedictine Conventions in the Mirdita region of present day Albania, the church represents the ascension of Jesus Christ following his 90 day return after Easter. The Benedictines of Rubik later delivered the Church to the Franciscan Order in Albania sometime around the year 1217 due to destruction of many lands and churches by Vandal Turkish Armies. Only five Franciscan conventions survived the Turkish raids of the time: that of Sebaste (Kurbin), Lezhe, Rubik, Mamli, and Bishti i Muzhlit (Durrës), which had more than 40 friars in total. The Franciscans whom refused to accept the catastrophes the order had experienced established seven hospices (special housing for sheltering missionaries) the second of which was established in Rubik in the 16th century and was responsible for the populations of Fan, Kthelle, Selite, Lure, and Cidhen. Throughout the 17th century the Franciscans of Rubik were active in a very large geographical region that incorporated a wide network of missionaries. Complete restoration of the area was carried out in the 19th century through opening of many religious institutions and reorganization of many churches with two main centers: the Franciscan Convention of Trashan in 1882 and the Franciscan Convention of Novitiate, (located in Rubik) in 1898. As centers of theology and philosophy, conventions were at the same time important educational centers where Greek-Roman literature and philosophy were taught. The religious complex, consisting of the Church, parish Cell, Bell Tower, hospices, and College, were built with a unique architecture and graphic artistic presentation (frescoes) that was almost completely destroyed by Communist leadership in 1967 during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. In order to dissuade alignment to any other organization other than the Party of Labour, the last Franciscan Father Leon Kabashi was banished and a majority of the Church properties were destroyed including frescoes, the library, archive, relics, and a most of the Church and Hospice walls.
Following the fall of communism in Albania and the rise of a Democratic state, national cultural monuments are beginning to experience restoration and protection. The Catholic Church in collaboration with the Albanian government has restored the walls of the Church of Ascension in Rubik and the frescoes are currently being restored in Italy. Although the Church was not restored to its original architectural state, the Municipality of Rubik is currently in the planning process of removing the new walls where original stone reside and restoring the Church to a more historically correct state.
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in the mountainous Mirditë District
Mirditë District
The District of Mirditë is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Lezhë County. It has a population of 26,668 , and an area of 867 km². It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Rrëshen...
along national roadway SH30 which links Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
/Lezhë County
Lezhë County
Lezhë County is one of the 12 counties of Albania. It consists of the districts Kurbin, Lezhë and Mirditë and its capital is Lezhë.Lezhë has a small western shoreline on the Adriatic Sea. On land, it borders the following counties:*Shkodër: north...
with Rrëshen
Rrëshen
Rrëshen is a small Albanian city and the administrative seat of the Mirditë District, in northern Albania. In 2001, it had a population of 9,240 people.-The City:...
/Kukes
Kukës
Kukës is a town in Albania located at 42.09°N, 20.43°E in the district and county with the same name. It has a population of about 16,000 . The town is set among the mountains of northern Albania. It is famous for its role during the Kosovo conflict for taking in 450,000 refugees from Kosovo...
and the new Durrës-Kosovo auto-strata. The Municipality governs a total surface area of 107 km² and consists of the city of Rubik at its center and eleven peripheral villages: Fang, Katund i Vjeter, Bulshizë, Rasfik, Fierzë, Munaz, Rreja e Velës, Livadhëza, Vau Shkjezë, Rrethi i Eperm, and Rreja e Zezë.
Brief History
According to ancient Roman religion and Roman mythologyRoman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
, Robigo or Rubigo was the goddess that protected corn and other crops from diseases such as mildew
Mildew
Mildew refers to certain kinds of molds or fungi.In Old English, it meant honeydew , and later came to mean mildew in the modern sense of mold or fungus....
and blight
Blight
Blight refers to a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. It is simply a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs. Accordingly, many diseases that primarily exhibit this...
that infected crops, and in who's honor Robigalia
Robigalia
In ancient Roman religion, the Robigalia was a festival held April 25. Its main ritual was a dog sacrifice to protect grain fields from disease. Games in the form of "major and minor" races were held...
festival was organized each April with people praying to her in order to remove rust from crops. Thus originates the name of Rubik. Early Illyria
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by the Illyrians....
n inhabitants of the area performed rituals which were established by the Roman King Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius
Numa Pompilius was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus. What tales are descended to us about him come from Valerius Antias, an author from the early part of the 1st century BC known through limited mentions of later authors , Dionysius of Halicarnassus circa 60BC-...
, yearly on the 25th of April, when farmers would sacrifice a red goat, a red sheep, and offer wine to the goddess. In actuality, the "rust" was not from crops but from the soil of the area due to copper ore and acid waters of which often deadened plants to the very roots.
Demographics
According to 2006 data, 2277 families or 8094 people reside in Rubik Municipality's jurisdiction. Of those 2277 families, about 1070 reside in the central town of Rubik which constitutes about 3736 people. The remaining 53% of the population, or 1207 families with 4358 people, inhabit the eleven villages within Rubik Municipality's administrative area.Cultural Monuments and Tourism
The Church of the Ascension:Kishё e Shelbuemit ne Rubik or the Church of the Ascension in English, is the first building in Rubik that a traveler will notice as they drive along the Fan River. Towering over the small community of Rubik, the Franciscan monastery sits a top a white cliff as if observing the daily activities of the city. Originally established in 1166 as one of four Benedictine Conventions in the Mirdita region of present day Albania, the church represents the ascension of Jesus Christ following his 90 day return after Easter. The Benedictines of Rubik later delivered the Church to the Franciscan Order in Albania sometime around the year 1217 due to destruction of many lands and churches by Vandal Turkish Armies. Only five Franciscan conventions survived the Turkish raids of the time: that of Sebaste (Kurbin), Lezhe, Rubik, Mamli, and Bishti i Muzhlit (Durrës), which had more than 40 friars in total. The Franciscans whom refused to accept the catastrophes the order had experienced established seven hospices (special housing for sheltering missionaries) the second of which was established in Rubik in the 16th century and was responsible for the populations of Fan, Kthelle, Selite, Lure, and Cidhen. Throughout the 17th century the Franciscans of Rubik were active in a very large geographical region that incorporated a wide network of missionaries. Complete restoration of the area was carried out in the 19th century through opening of many religious institutions and reorganization of many churches with two main centers: the Franciscan Convention of Trashan in 1882 and the Franciscan Convention of Novitiate, (located in Rubik) in 1898. As centers of theology and philosophy, conventions were at the same time important educational centers where Greek-Roman literature and philosophy were taught. The religious complex, consisting of the Church, parish Cell, Bell Tower, hospices, and College, were built with a unique architecture and graphic artistic presentation (frescoes) that was almost completely destroyed by Communist leadership in 1967 during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha. In order to dissuade alignment to any other organization other than the Party of Labour, the last Franciscan Father Leon Kabashi was banished and a majority of the Church properties were destroyed including frescoes, the library, archive, relics, and a most of the Church and Hospice walls.
Following the fall of communism in Albania and the rise of a Democratic state, national cultural monuments are beginning to experience restoration and protection. The Catholic Church in collaboration with the Albanian government has restored the walls of the Church of Ascension in Rubik and the frescoes are currently being restored in Italy. Although the Church was not restored to its original architectural state, the Municipality of Rubik is currently in the planning process of removing the new walls where original stone reside and restoring the Church to a more historically correct state.