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38-436: The cathedral was built in the castle of Rozafa in the 13th century, and enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries while being under Venice possession. In 1319 Don Andrea of Shkodër brought from Ragusa carpenters to assist in the renovation of the area of the church dedicated to the choir. Another renovation is mentioned in 1403 from the then captain general of Shkodër, who brought from Ragusa 5000 tiles to use for coverage of

76-506: A ceremonial manner of the triumph of Anicius in Rome: In a few days, both on land and sea did he defeat the brave Illyrian tribe, who had relied on their knowledge of their own territory and fortifications. Within the castle there are the ruins of a 13th-century Venetian Catholic church , considered by scholars as the St. Stephen's Cathedral, which after the siege of Shkodër in the 15th century, when

114-546: A church to the saints once he became emperor. The construction of this Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus , between 527 and 536 AD (only a short time before the erection of the Hagia Sophia between 532 and 537), was one of the first acts of the reign of Justinian I. Sergius was a very popular saint in Syria and Christian Arabia . The city of Resafa, which became a bishop's see, took the name Sergiopolis and preserved his relics in

152-560: A facility is traditionally orally transmitted by Albanians and connected with the construction of the Rozafa Castle. The existence of this Albanian legend is attested as early as 1505, in the work De obsidione Scodrensi , by the Albanian humanist and historian Marin Barleti . The story tells about the initiative of three brothers who set down to build a castle. They worked all day, but

190-512: A fortified basilica . Resafa was improved by Emperor Justinian and became one of the greatest pilgrimage centers in the East. Many other churches were built dedicated in the name of Sergius, sometimes with Bacchus. A church dedicated to Santi Sergio e Bacco was built in Rome in the 9th century. Christian art represents the two saints as soldiers in military garb with branches of palm in their hands. Their feast

228-503: A great hero, ruler of the world. A well known version of the legend is the Serbian epic poem called The Building of Skadar (Зидање Скадра, Zidanje Skadra ) published by Vuk Karadžić in 1815, after he recorded a folk song sung by a Herzegovinian storyteller named Old Rashko . The three brothers in the legend were represented by members of the noble Mrnjavčević family , Vukašin , Uglješa and Gojko. Furthermore, Dundes states that

266-429: A request: I have but one request to make. When you wall me in, leave a hole for my right eye, for my right hand, for my right foot and for my right breast. I have a small son. When he starts to cry, I will cheer him up with my right eye, I will comfort him with my right hand, I will put him to sleep with my right foot and wean him with my right breast. Let my breast turn to stone and the castle flourish. May my son become

304-507: A rocky hill, 130 metres (430 ft) above sea level, surrounded by the Buna and Drin rivers. Shkodër is the seat of Shkodër County , and is one of Albania's oldest and most historic towns, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. The hill was settled since the Early Bronze Age . The earliest fortification walls are dated to the 4th-3rd century BCE constituting the citadel of

342-497: A romantic dimension, noting that the oldest text of their martyrology describes them as erastai , which can be translated as "lovers". He suggested that the two were even united in a rite known as adelphopoiesis or "brother-making", which he argued was a type of early Christian same-sex union or blessing, reinforcing his view of tolerant early Christian attitudes toward homosexuality . Boswell's methodology and conclusions were criticized by many historians. Regardless, in

380-492: Is accepted, even if nothing genuine about his life is known." He accepts that information in the passion is accurate. Italian scholar Pio Franchi de Cavalieri has put forth that The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus was based on an earlier lost passion of Juventinus and Maximinus , two saints martyred under Emperor Julian the Apostate in 363. He noted especially that the punishment of being paraded around in women's clothes reflected

418-441: Is no evidence for the cult of Sergius and Bacchus before 425, over a century after they are said to have died. There is no evidence for Sergius and Bacchus's schola gentilium having been used by Galerius or any other emperor before Constantine I , given that the persecution of Christians had begun in the army considerably before the 4th century. Christopher Walter considers Sergius analogous to Saint George , "whose historicity

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456-642: Is observed on 7 October, and a Mass is assigned to them in the " Sacramentarium " of Pope Gelasius . The nomads of the desert looked upon Sergius as their special patron saint . In the Armenian Church traditions, Sergius, or Sarkis, was venerated as a Christian general in the Roman army. He was martyred with his son, Martyros, for witnessing to their faith in Christ. The feast is preceded by three-day fasting where most abstain of food and water. The close friendship between

494-570: Is one of the few buildings from the Middle Ages in Shkodër and is the only mosque that partially survived in Shkodra during the dictatorship of Enver Hoxha , who destroyed all 36 mosques in Shkodër. Rozafa Rozafa Castle ( Albanian : Kalaja e Rozafës ) or Shkodër Castle ( Albanian : Kalaja e Shkodrës ) is a castle near the city of Shkodër , in northwestern Albania . It rises imposingly on

532-836: The Catholic , Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches. Their feast day is 7 October. According to their hagiography , Sergius and Bacchus were military officers in the army of the Roman Emperor Galerius and were held high in his favor until they were exposed as secret Christians. They were then severely humiliated and punished, forced to wear both feminine and commoner garments, with Bacchus dying during torture to his feet, and Sergius eventually decapitated. Sergius and Bacchus were very popular throughout Late Antiquity for their fraternal and pious relationship, and churches in their honor were built in several cities, including Constantinople and Rome. The close friendship between

570-527: The Illyrian city of Skodra , which together with various sites of the lower city, shows the growing and vibrant nature of the Illyrian capital under the Labeatae , especially during the reign of king Gentius . Nevertheless, the visible walls of the castle are mostly of Venetian construction. Although there have been several legends about the etymology of the name Rozafa, scholars have linked it with Resafa ,

608-526: The Ottoman Empire captured the city, was transformed into the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Mosque . The castle has been the site of several famous sieges, including the siege of Shkodër of 1478-79 and the siege of Shkodër of 1912-13 . The castle and its surroundings form an Archaeological Park of Albania. A famous widespread legend about human sacrifice and immurement with the aim of building

646-665: The feast day of Sergius and Bacchus has been celebrated on 7 October in the West. In the Tridentine calendar they shared the day with Pope Mark and the martyred pair Marcellus and Apuleius . In 1716, this day became the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary , and the commemoration of Sergius, Bacchus and the other saints was moved to 8 October. They were restored to 7 October in 1969. In the Byzantine Empire , they were venerated as protectors of

684-456: The Roman commander. On the third day of the truce, Gentius surrendered to the Romans, was placed in custody and sent to Rome . The Roman army marched north of Scutari Lake where, at Meteon , they captured Gentius' wife queen Etuta , his brother Caravantius, his sons Scerdilaidas and Pleuratus along with leading Illyrians. The fall of the Illyrian kingdom in 168 BC is transmitted by Livy in

722-618: The army. A large monastery church, the Little Hagia Sophia , was dedicated to them in Constantinople by Justinian I, probably in 527. According to legend, during the reign of Justin I , his nephew Justinian had been accused of plotting against the throne and was sentenced to death, which was reversed after Sergius and Bacchus appeared before Justin and vouched for Justinian's innocence. He was freed and restored to his title of Caesar . Justinian, in gratitude, vowed that he would dedicate

760-475: The castle. Only then will the foundations stay put and last forever. The three brothers swore on besa to not speak with their wives of that happened. However the two eldest brothers broke their promise and quietly told their wives everything, while the honest youngest brother kept his besa and said nothing. The mother of the three brothers knew nothing of their agreement, and while the next afternoon at lunch time, she asked her daughters-in-law to bring lunch to

798-496: The character and patriotism of Rozafa, the legendary immured woman. Saint Sergius Sergius (or Serge ) and Bacchus ( Greek : Σέργιος & Βάκχος; Classical Syriac : ܣܪܓܝܤ ܘܒܟܘܤ , romanized:  Sargīs wa Bākūs ; Arabic : سركيس و باخوس , romanized :  Sarkīs wa Bākhūs , also called Arabic : سرجيس و باكوس , romanized :  Sarjīs wa Bākūs ) were fourth-century Syrian Christian soldiers revered as martyrs and military saints by

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836-413: The church must have existed the house of the bishop, which is documented since 1251, however, after the 1478-1479 Siege of Shkodra the bishop was no longer allowed to reside in the castle. The Ottomans transformed the church into a mosque in 1685. After that year from the former church's objects the old organon was kept, as a war trophy, within the mosque. When the cathedral became a mosque in 1685, it bore

874-469: The church's roof. The construction typology is similar to that used in the Ratac Abbey , in today Montenegro , which was later built, as well as with a church of Šas . It had a cella , covered by roof, as well as an altar distinguished by crossed vaults . The altar had the only window of the church. There are elements of both Dominican and franciscan type of construction in the cathedral. Close to

912-506: The church. A planned attempt to convert the mosque into its origin, a church with partial U.S. sponsorship was not liked by the Muslim community of Shkodër, and the ambassador of the United States, Ms. Marcy Ries , promised to re-assess the funding of the project. The ruins of this church-mosque feature a Dikka , a Mihrab , and the remains of a large Minaret . The Fatih Sultan Mehmet mosque

950-522: The fifth century. A shrine to Sergius was built in Resafa (renamed Sergiopolis around 425), but there is no certain evidence for his or Bacchus' cult much older than that. Their cult grew rapidly during the early fifth century, in accordance with the growth of the cult of martyrs, especially military martyrs, during the period. The Resafa shrine was constructed of mudbrick , evidently at the behest of bishop Alexander of Hierapolis . The Passion has been dated to

988-403: The foundation walls fell down at night. They met a wise old man who seems to know the solution of the problem asking them if they were married. When the three brothers responded positively, the old man said: If you really want to finish the castle, you must swear never to tell your wives what I am going to tell you now. The wife who brings you your food tomorrow you must bury alive in the wall of

1026-541: The mid-5th century on the grounds that it describes the construction of such a shrine as if it were a relatively recent occurrence. The original shrine was replaced with a sturdier stone structure in 518; this new site was patronized by important political figures including Roman emperor Justinian I , emperor Khosrow II of the Sasanian Empire , and al-Mundhir III ibn al-Harith , ruler of the Ghassanids . Traditionally,

1064-716: The mid-5th century. According to the text, Sergius and Bacchus were Roman citizens and high-ranking officers of the Roman army , but their conversion to Christianity was discovered when they attempted to avoid accompanying a Roman official into a pagan temple with the rest of his bodyguard. After they persisted in refusing to sacrifice to Jupiter in Galerius's presence, they were publicly humiliated by being chained, dressed in female attire and paraded around town. Galerius then sent them to Barbalissos in Mesopotamia to be tried by Antiochus,

1102-468: The military commander there and an old friend of Sergius. Antiochus could not convince them to give up their faith, however, and Bacchus was beaten to death. The next day, Bacchus's spirit appeared to Sergius and encouraged him to remain strong so they could be together forever. Over the next days, Sergius was also brutally tortured and finally executed at Resafa , where his death was marked by miraculous happenings. Veneration of Sergius and Bacchus dates to

1140-460: The name Gojko is invented. Folklorist Alan Dundes notes that the ballad continued to be admired by generations of folksingers and ballad scholars. The cult of the maternal breasts and the motif of immurement that appear in the Albanian legend of Rozafa are reflections of the worship of the earth mother goddess in Albanian folk beliefs . The local people believe that Rozafa's milk still flows in

1178-570: The name of Mehmet the Conqueror Mosque ( Albanian : Xhamia e Mehmet Fatihut ). A minaret was built on the southern side of the former cathedral and, within a niche of the altar, was built a mihrab . Nearby the church, until 1951, has existed a khan (inn), called The Inn of Noka ( Albanian : Hani i Nokës ), which seems to have been built on the foundations of the bishop's house. In 1939 Italian priest and albanologist Giuseppe Valentini suggested ways to perform restoration work on

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1216-483: The place where Saint Sergius died. Shkodra and the surrounding area have a long and well-documented tradition of venerating Sergius ( Albanian : Shirgji ). The castle is also named after the city of Shkodër (definite Albanian form: Shkodra ). Due to its strategic location, the hill had a prominent role in antiquity . There was an Illyrian stronghold during the rule of the Labeates and Ardiaei , whose capital

1254-506: The two is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one of the most famous examples of paired Christian saints. The story of Sergius and Bacchus is told in the Greek text known as The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus . The story is ostensibly set during the reign of Roman emperor Galerius (305 to 311), though it contains a number of contradictions and anachronisms that make dating difficult. The work itself may date to

1292-461: The two is strongly emphasized in their hagiographies and traditions, making them one of the most famous examples of paired saints; the scholar John Boswell considers them to be the most influential set of such an archetype, more so than even Peter and Paul . In his Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe , Boswell further argues that Sergius and Bacchus' relationship can be understood as having

1330-425: The wake of Boswell's work, Sergius and Bacchus have become popularly venerated in the gay Christian community. A 1994 icon of Sergius and Bacchus by the gay Franciscan iconographer Robert Lentz , first displayed at Chicago's Gay Pride Parade, has become a popular gay symbol. The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus has been dismissed as an unreliable historical source. It has been dated to mid-5th century and there

1368-436: The walls of the stronghold she sacrificed herself to preserve. This is manifested by the native milkweeds flow when their stalks are broken, and limestone stalactites found within the original Illyrian gateway. Limestone deposits are scraped off by local women, and by mixing them with water they obtain a medicine to drink or apply to their breasts in order to increase their milk supply, and so that they can infuse their babies with

1406-481: The workers, two of them refused with an excuse. The brothers waited anxiously to see which wife was carrying the basket of food. It was Rozafa, the wife of the youngest brother, who left her younger son at home. Embittered, the youngest brother explained to her what the deal was, that she was to be sacrificed and buried in the wall of the castle so that they could finish building it, and she didn't protest but, worried about her infant son, she accepted being immured and made

1444-619: Was Scodra . During the Third Illyrian War the Illyrian king Gentius concentrated his forces in Scodra . When he was attacked by the Roman army led by L. Anicius Gallus , Gentius fled into the city and was trapped there hoping that his brother Caravantius would come at any moment with a large relieving army, but that did not happen. After his defeat, Gentius sent two prominent tribal leaders, Teuticus and Bellus, as envoys to negotiate with

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