Orosh used to be the centre of the secular and spiritual power of the entire region of Mirditë. It was the seat of the so-called captaincy and by the abbey, the elders of the Mirditian tribes gathered on important occasions. Today it is a cluster of a few houses, which in size is far from its former importance. The symbol of Orosh is the restored church of St. Alexander.
In the Middle Ages, Orosh was one of the most important religious centres in Albania, visited by pilgrims from as far away as Dubrovnik. The Orthodox monastery was handed over to the Benedictines by Pope Clement VIII at the end of the 16th century. In the late 19th century, the local abbot Prend Doçi ensured that the abbey fell directly under the jurisdiction of the Pope and was not subject to the local church hierarchy.
The Church of St. Alexander in Orosh, like the entire village, has been destroyed several times throughout history. The last time was in 1967 when the Communists had it demolished as part of their anti-religious campaign. It was restored with the help of historical photographs only in 1994-1995.
Orosh is also a place mentioned in the book Broken April by the most famous Albanian writer Ismail Kadare. In this novel, those who killed in a blood feud had to resort here and pay a special tribute to the Mirditan rulers.Not only the church in Orosh is worth a visit, but also the eponymous mountains (Bjeshka e Oroshit). It is a karst plateau at an altitude of about 1400 metres, best to be reached from the beautiful settlement of Nënshejt. A map with some hikes can be found here.
It is 7 km from the motorway exit to the church, the last 3 km require an off-road vehicle. To Nënshejt, it’s another 7 km scenic drive from the church.
Cover photo Přemysl Vinš
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