Urban physiognomy and political and economic developments in the city of Durrës (1200- 1501)

• Author: Muhamet Qerimi
• Position: University of Pristina
• Pages: 202-209

Vol. 1 No. 1

January 2017

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

202

Urban physiognomy and political and economic developments in the city of

Durrës (1200- 1501)

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhamet Qerimi

University of Pristina

Abstract

The city of Durrës during the middle Ages, despite extensive devastations caused by human

factor and natural disasters, managed to maintain the continuity and physiognomy of a

developed city of the Mediterranean region. Compared to many other cities of the Adriatic

coast and broader, it had a more sustainable development, be it in the political-social fi eld

and in the urban architectural domain as well. More distinctive were the works carried out

in the fortifi cation of the city started by Anastas I. All these would not be possible without

the establishment and functioning of the institutions of the city such as the council of the

city, panel of judges, two magistrates and other credible institutions. The city had its stamp,

emblem and statute thus witnessing the enhancement of political life. The development of the

city was also promoted by its geographical position, located at the beginning of Via Egnatia

that connected Western to Eastern Europe. The development of Durrës was also conditioned

by a range of factors of various natures, which changed the city into an important centre of

transit trade, competing with important centres of Eastern Adriatic.

Keywords: Durrës, institutions, council, urban, trade etc.

Introduction

This manuscript aims to shed some light in the city of Durrës and on the oscillations

of its economic development in centuries XI-XV, starting from the fact that direct and

compact work is not possible in the historic opinion. For its compilation the author

has been based on broad resources with primary focus on archival resources and

in pu ing in motion a set of methods dominated by the analysis, comparisons and

synthesis. This paper shall serve as a core of a broader paper about Durrës for the

period (XI-XV) and its relationships with other Balkan and Mediterranean cities.

Urbanism and Architecture

During the transitional period from antiquity in the early Middle Ages, a period of

downsizing of the city areas is noted and leaving it out of architectural a ention. This

situation is explained by the lecherousness su ered by governmental, economic and

infrastructural systems, etc. The crisis of antique systems was followed by massive

devastations that the cities su ered from the barbarian a acks. During this "dark"

period, many cities remained as such, others lost their earlier glamour, surviving

as simple centres of military and administrative or Episcopal type. In this wave of

systems where an era of turbulence and massive destructions dominated, Durrës

city also, as many Albanian cities, sustained considerable damages. But compared to