The Skanderbeg Burial Memorial in Lezhë is a first-category cultural monument. As March 2 marks the celebration of the 580th anniversary of the League of Lezhë held in 1444, the memorial constitutes the main venue for the activities.
Evoking structures with marble columns dedicated to other important figures worldwide, this memorial represents an object with numerous historical and architectural values for Albania.
It was completed in 1981.
Located in a prominent space, the surface area of the Memorial is about 225 square meters, including within it the ruins of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, on which it is built. Designed by sculptor Odhise Paskali and architect Latif Lazimi, this monument aptly represents the grandeur of Skanderbeg.
On the marble plaque of the tomb, replicas of Skanderbeg’s sword and scabbard are placed, taken from the originals preserved in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The walls of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, built in the 14th century, are decorated with 25 swords and the bronze shield of Skanderbeg, which depict the history of the hero’s 25 main battles.
Skanderbeg died on January 17, 1468, and was buried in this place, where he had founded the League of Lezhë, which united the Albanian principalities against the Ottoman invasion.
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