Lezhë

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City in Albania

title: "Lezhë" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lezhë", "cities-in-albania", "municipalities-in-lezhë-county", "administrative-units-of-lezhë", "illyrian-albania", "cities-in-ancient-illyria", "archaeology-of-illyria", "hellenistic-albania", "towns-in-albania", "populated-places-established-in-the-4th-century-bc"] description: "City in Albania" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lezhë" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in Albania ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox Albanian settlement"]

FieldValue
nameLezhë
other nameLezha
typem
flagFlag of Lezhë.gif
emblemStema e Bashkisë Lezhë.svg
image_skyline{{multiple image
borderinfobox
total_width270
image_styleborder:1;
perrow1/2/3
image1Kalaja_e_Lezhes.jpg
image2Lezhë, Albania – Skanderbeg Memorial 2016 02.jpg
image3Biblioteka_Lezhë_Bibliotekat_Publike_-_panoramio.jpg
image4Lezhë, Albania – Kuvendi i Lezhës (Lezhë Assembly) Memorial 2016 01.jpg
image5Kisha françeskane Lezhe - panoramio (6).jpg
image6Lezhë Castle 7.jpg
image7}}
image_captionPhotomontage of Lezhë
countyLezhë
settled4th century BC
partyPS
mayorPjerin Ndreu
coordinates
area munic506.4
population as of2023
area_unit2.58
population unit14687
demonym
postal code4500
area code(0)215
website
::

::callout[type=note] the city in Albania ::

| name = Lezhë | other name = Lezha | type = m | flag = Flag of Lezhë.gif | emblem = Stema e Bashkisë Lezhë.svg | image_skyline = {{multiple image | border = infobox | total_width = 270 | image_style = border:1; | perrow = 1/2/3 | image1 = Kalaja_e_Lezhes.jpg | image2 = Lezhë, Albania – Skanderbeg Memorial 2016 02.jpg | image3 = Biblioteka_Lezhë_Bibliotekat_Publike_-_panoramio.jpg | image4 =Lezhë, Albania – Kuvendi i Lezhës (Lezhë Assembly) Memorial 2016 01.jpg | image5 =Kisha françeskane Lezhe - panoramio (6).jpg | image6 =Lezhë Castle 7.jpg | image7 =}} | image_caption = Photomontage of Lezhë | map = | location = | county = Lezhë | parts = | settled = 4th century BC | incorporated = | dissolved = | party = PS | mayor = Pjerin Ndreu | council chairman = | administrator = | coordinates = | elevation = | area munic = 506.4 | area rank = | population as of = 2023 |area_unit=2.58| population munic = 51354 | population unit = 14687 | population rank = | demonym = | postal code = 4500 | area code = (0)215 | website = Lezhë (, Lezha) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with roughly 2,400 years of recorded history.

One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian construction and are dated to the late 4th century BC. Lezhë was one of the main centres of the Illyrian kingdom. During the conflicts with Macedon, it was captured by Philip V becoming the Macedonian outlet to the Adriatic Sea. The city was later recovered by the Illyrians. It was subjected to Rome after the Roman-Illyrian wars and the fall of Gentius' realm. Lezhë was the site of the League of Lezhë where Skanderbeg united the Albanian lords in the fight against the Ottoman Empire.

Name

The city is mentioned in ancient sources as Lissós (Ancient Greek: Λισσός) and Lissus (Latin: Lissus, Lissum). It is also attested in numismatic material. The ethnicon ΛΙΣΣΙΤΑΝ Lissitan is found on coin inscriptions of the Hellenistic era. It is considered a Greek toponym, deriving from the Greek λισσός lissós, meaning 'smooth, smooth rock, gruff'.

The ancient name Lissus evolved into its modern form Lezhë (archaic: Lesh) through Albanian sound changes. In Turkish, the town is known as Leş or Eşim and in Italian as Alessio. Lezhë is also known as Alise, Alexiensis, Eschenderari, or Mrtav.

History

Early history

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Varri_i_Skënderbeut_&Kalaja-_Lezhë.jpg" caption="p=34}}"] ::

Various swords (C and D type) unearthed in Lezhë are attributed to a free exchange pattern between the locals and the centres of Mycenaean Greece from the early Mycenaean period (1600-1450 BC). The earliest human constructions have an Illyrian character and appear on the site from the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. The settlement with its fortifications was built on a 413-metre-high mountain, the Mal i Shëlbuemit, from at least the 8th century BC, and was located near the mouth of the Drin river.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Lezhë_Castle2.jpg" caption="[[Lezhë Castle]] on the 172 m hill."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Ancient_Lissus_fortification_ruins.jpg" caption="Ruins of Hellenistic fortification walls built during the Illyrian urban period."] ::

In antiquity the area was described as the territory of the Illyrii tribe (the "Illyrians proper"; , Illyrioi; or Illyrii propriae dicti; ).

Diodorus ("Library", 15.1, 1st century BC) mentions that Dionysius of Syracuse founded a "city called Lissos" in the year 385 BC,{{harvnb|Wilkes|Fischer-Hansen|2004|p=325|ps=: "In 385 Dionysios of Syracuse assisted the Parians to establish a settlement on Pharos, having already sent a colony to the Adriatic and founded “a city called Lissos” (no. 82) (Diod. 15.13.4)." p.332: "Lissos was founded shortly before 385 by Dionysios I [...] on the steep slope of a hill, modern Lezha [...] a site already occupied by Illyrian settlers."}} as part of a strategy by Dionysius to secure Syracusan trade routes along the Adriatic. Diodorus calls it a polis. Some modern scholars have interpreted that the Syracusan colony mentioned by Diodorus was established on the site of Lezhë, but more recently scholars think that it was in fact more likely established at Issa near the island of Pharos, not at Lissus (modern Lezhë) which was too distant for the events described by the ancient historian. Meanwhile, Issa is known from other evidence to be a Syracusan foundation. Except Diodorus' account there is nothing to connect Lissos (the ancient site of Lezhë) with Syracuse, and according to historian Pierre Cabanes, even if Diodorus' account is accepted as accurate, it is very likely that this colony had a short life.

The earliest of the fortification walls of the proto-urban settlement are of typical Illyrian construction and are dated to the late 4th century BC. The transition from the Iron Age fortification of Acrolissus (on the 413 m Shëlbuem mountain) to the proper Illyrian city of Lissus was continuous. The city was built on a lower hill (172 m) near the Iron Age fortification. It was surrounded by ramparts that faced the low valley of the Drin river and the sea coast. Its function was to guard the route inland, to ensure defense against possible attacks from the sea, and to furnish a secure anchorage for the Illyrian ships.

By the 3rd century BC, Lissus was one of the main cities of the Illyrian kingdom under the Ardiaean and Labeatan dynasties. In the 228 BC peace treaty with Rome, the Illyrian queen Teuta promised not to sail south of Lissus at the mouth of the Drin river with more than two lembi (Illyrian light ships), even those had to be unarmed. But when Rome was engaged in a war against the Celtic peoples of the Po Valley in northern Italy about the years 225–222 BC, Illyrian commander Demetrius detached the Atintani tribe from their alliance with Rome. Moreover, he sailed south of Lissus and engaged in piracy in violation of the 228 BC peace treaty. In the summer of 221 BC, tensions in Greece increased as Macedonia allied with the Achaean League against the Aetolian League, and the Illyrians attacked in their typical manner. Demetrius and Scerdilaidas sailed with 90 lembi south of Lissus. When they failed an assault on Pylos (western Peloponnese), they separated their fleets and Scerdilaidas returned north with 40 ships, while Demetrius plundered the Cyclades with 50 ships.

In Roman times Lissus was located in a territory inhabited by the Labeatae, however ancient sources never relate it with this tribe. Taking in account archaeological and historical considerations, the city of Lissus should have been founded in a Labeatan context, but perhaps by the time of Teuta's fall in the end of the 3rd century BC, on a Greek model it was organized as a polis turning away from its ethnic context. The dissociation from the ethnic to the polis coincided with Philip V of Macedon's conquest of a number of cities in Illyria. In 211 BC, Philip V captured Acrolissus, the citadel of Lissus, and Lissos surrendered to him, becoming the Macedonian outlet to the Adriatic Sea. The town was later recovered by the Illyrians. It was in Lissus that Perseus of Macedon negotiated an alliance against Rome with the Illyrian king Gentius, and it was from Lissus that Gentius organized his army against the Romans. Lissus maintained a large degree of municipal autonomy under both Macedonian and Illyrian rule, as evidenced by the coins minted there. During the reign of Gentius in the first half of the 2nd century BC, Lissus minted coins for the Illyrian ruler. The city was of some importance in the Roman Civil War, being taken by Marc Antony and then remaining loyal to Caesar. In Roman times, the city was part of the province of Epirus Nova,

Middle Ages

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Skanderbeg_grave_and_Lezhë_Castle.jpg" caption="The grave of [[Skanderbeg]] and [[Lezhë Castle]] on its hill. The structure was the former [[Selimie Mosque]]."] ::

During the reign of Justinian I (527-565) the local fortress was possibly mentioned as Alistion in the Synecdemus of Hierocles. At early 590s Lissus was captured by Slavic populations. Byzantine control was re-established during the early 9th century.

Albanian lord Vladislav Jonima of the Jonima family was acknowledged by the Pope as a ruler of a territory around Lezhë in 1319. He had the title of Count of Dioclea and of the seaside Albania. At the end of the 14th century, Albanian lord Dhimitër Jonima was lord of a territory between Mat and Lezhë.

In the Middle Ages, Lezha (known in Italian as Alessio) frequently changed masters until the Venetians took possession of it in 1386. It still belonged to them when Skanderbeg died, but In 1478 it fell into the hands of Turks during the siege of Shkodra, except for a short period (1501–1506) when it returned to Venetian domination. Because it was under the Venetian control, it was chosen in 1444 by Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg as a neutral place for the convention of Albanian nobles and lords of the area aiming at organizing their common defence against the Turks.

Lezha was the site of the League of Lezhë where Skanderbeg united the Albanian princes in the fight against the Ottoman Empire.

Skanderbeg was buried in the cathedral of Lezhë which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas and later used as Selimie Mosque.

Contemporary

Today Lezhë is a growing city. Its proximity to the port of Shëngjin as well as its location on the national road between the Montenegrin border to the North and Tirana to the South makes it an attractive location for industry and business.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Lezha_2014.jpg" caption="View over Lezhë and the [[Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast]] in the distance."] ::

Lezhë Municipality lies within Lezhë County as part of the Northern Region of Albania and consists of the adjacent administrative units of Balldren, Blinisht, Dajç, Kallmet, Kolsh, Shëngjin, Shënkoll, Ungrej, Zejmen with Lezhë constituting the municipal seat. The municipality spans between the Plain of Zadrima in the north, the Pukë-Mirditë Highlands in the east, the mouth of the Mat River in the south and the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast in the west. It covers 509.1 km2.

Climate

As of the Köppen climate classification, Lezhë falls under the periphery of the hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa) zone with an average annual temperature of 14.6 C.

| width = 100% | collapsed = | open = | metric first = yes | single line = yes | trace = | location = Lezhë | temperature colour = | precipitation colour =green | unit precipitation days =

| Jan high C =10.1 | Feb high C =11.7 | Mar high C =15.0 | Apr high C =18.9 | May high C =23.9 | Jun high C =27.6 | Jul high C =31.0 | Aug high C =30.9 | Sep high C =27.2 | Oct high C =21.6 | Nov high C =16.1 | Dec high C =11.7 | year high C = | Jan mean C = | Feb mean C = | Mar mean C = | Apr mean C = | May mean C = | Jun mean C = | Jul mean C = | Aug mean C = | Sep mean C = | Oct mean C = | Nov mean C = | Dec mean C = | year mean C = | Jan low C =1.8 | Feb low C =3.0 | Mar low C =5.2 | Apr low C =8.8 | May low C =13.0 | Jun low C =14.7 | Jul low C =18.5 | Aug low C =18.2 | Sep low C =15.2 | Oct low C =10.9 | Nov low C =7.0 | Dec low C =4.2 | year low C = | Jan precipitation mm =165 | Feb precipitation mm =143 | Mar precipitation mm =129 | Apr precipitation mm =118 | May precipitation mm =87 | Jun precipitation mm =60 | Jul precipitation mm =36 | Aug precipitation mm =52 | Sep precipitation mm =104 | Oct precipitation mm =136 | Nov precipitation mm =191 | Dec precipitation mm =179 | year precipitation mm = | Jan rain days =13 | Feb rain days =12 | Mar rain days =13 | Apr rain days =13 | May rain days =10 | Jun rain days =8 | Jul rain days =5 | Aug rain days =6 | Sep rain days =8 | Oct rain days =10 | Nov rain days =14 | Dec rain days =13 | year rain days = | Jan humidity =74 | Feb humidity =71 | Mar humidity =69 | Apr humidity =69 | May humidity =68 | Jun humidity =64 | Jul humidity =59 | Aug humidity =61 | Sep humidity =68 | Oct humidity =71 | Nov humidity =75 | Dec humidity =75 | year humidity =

| Jan sun =130.2 | Feb sun =130 | Mar sun =173.6 | Apr sun =201 | May sun =269.7 | Jun sun =306 | Jul sun =362.7 | Aug sun =322.4 | Sep sun =258 | Oct sun =207.7 | Nov sun =138 | Dec sun =117.8 | year sun = | Jand sun =4.2 | Febd sun =4.6 | Mard sun =5.6 | Aprd sun =6.7 | Mayd sun =8.7 | Jund sun =10.2 | Juld sun =11.7 | Augd sun =10.4 | Sepd sun =8.6 | Octd sun =6.7 | Novd sun =4.6 | Decd sun =3.8 | yeard sun =

| source = Weather2visit

Infrastructure

There are urban buses throughout the city and international and national buses. Lezhe has a train station not far from the center. The line starts in Durrës and ends in Shkodër. It is functional but not frequently.

The main highway in Lezhe is SH 1, connecting it with Shkodër to the north and the Durrës-Kukës Highway (A1, intersection at Milot) to the south. The SH32 connects Lezhe with Shëngjin on the coast.

Demography

The population of the municipality of Lezhë as of the 2023 census is 51,354, of which 14,687 in the city proper.

Culture

The association football club is KS Besëlidhja Lezhë. Although primarily concerned with football and basketball, KS Besëlidhja also participates in sports such as wrestling and beach volleyball.

From 2004 an excavation started around the ancient Acropolis of Lissos and the Skanderbeg Memorial, which revealed Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine buildings, tombs and other findings.

Notable people

Notes

References

Bibliography

References

  1. "Kryetari i Bashkisë". Bashkia Lezhë.
  2. "Census of Population and Housing". Institute of Statistics Albania.
  3. {{harvnb. Cabanes. 2008. Shehi. 2015
  4. {{harvnb. Shpuza. 2014. Shehi. 2015
  5. (2002). "Mycenaean Presence and Influence in Albania". Kniževni Krug.
  6. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1992. Cabanes. 2008
  7. {{harvnb. Matijašić. 2011. Boardman. Sollberger. 1982
  8. Evans, A., Destani, B., [https://books.google.com/books?id=3J96wSxMaeYC&q=Amantia&pg=PA276 ''Ancient Illyria, an archeological exploration'']. IB Tauris, 2007. p. 276.
  9. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1992. Cabanes. 2008. Stylianou. 1998. Shehi. 2015
  10. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1992. Errington. 1989
  11. {{harvnb. Wilkes. 1992. Errington. 1989
  12. Polybius 8.13-14
  13. Arthur Evans. (2007). "Ancient Illyria: An Archaeological Exploration". I.B.Tauris.
  14. Plutarch. (1920). "Life of Antony". Loeb Classical Edition.
  15. Epirus Vetus: The Archaeology of a Late Antique Province (Duckworth Archaeology) by William Bowden, 2003, {{ISBN. 0-7156-3116-0,2003, page 233, of Lissus in Epirus Nova
  16. (2002). "Badlands, Borderlands: A History of Northern Epirus/Southern Albania". Duckworth.
  17. (2018). "The Avars: A Steppe Empire in Central Europe, 567–822". Cornell University Press.
  18. (2019). "Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages (500-1300) (2 vols)". BRILL.
  19. Schmitt, Oliver Jens. (2001). "Das venezianische Albanien (1392-1479)". R. Oldenbourg Verlag GmbH München.
  20. Anamali, Skënder; Prifti (2002) (in Albanian). Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime. Botimet Toena. {{ISBN. 99927-1-622-3 p. 267
  21. [http://www.catholic.org/encyclopedia/view.php?id=444 Catholic Encyclopedia, article "Alessio (Lissus, Alexiensis)"]
  22. Schmitt Jens O.(2009) Skanderbeg, Der neue Alexander auf dem Balkan, Verlag Friedrich Pustet, pp. 55,56
  23. (May 2014). "A new Urban–Rural Classification of Albanian Population". [[Institute of Statistics (Albania).
  24. "Law nr. 115/2014".
  25. "Strategjia Territoriale Bashkia Lezhë". Bashkia Lezhë.
  26. "Pasaporta e Bashkisë Lezhë". Porta Vendore.
  27. "Bashkia Lezhë". Albanian Association of Municipalities (AAM).
  28. "Climate: Lezhë". Climate-Data.
  29. "Lezhë monthly weather averages".
  30. "Cities of Albania".
  31. "Albania: All places/communes".
  32. [http://www.uni-graz.at/klar1www_excavation_report_2004.pdf Karl-Franzens Universitat, Lissus excavation report 2004.] {{webarchive. link. (2011-06-29)

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

lezhëcities-in-albaniamunicipalities-in-lezhë-countyadministrative-units-of-lezhëillyrian-albaniacities-in-ancient-illyriaarchaeology-of-illyriahellenistic-albaniatowns-in-albaniapopulated-places-established-in-the-4th-century-bc