Royal Villa of Durrës

About

The Royal Villa of Durrës (Albanian: Vila mbretërore e Durrësit or Albanian: Vila mbretnore Durrës or Albanian: Vila e Zogut) is a former royal summer residence overlooking the Bay of Durrës, Albania. Commissioned by King Zog I, it was completed in 1937 as the most prestigious architectural project of the short-lived Albanian monarchy. The villa occupies a commanding position on Kodër Vilë, a hill rising nearly 98 metres above sea level, offering panoramic views of the Adriatic coast. Designed in the idiom of Italian Rationalism, its pyramidal massing and monumental terraces were combined with neoclassical interiors of imported marble, gilt and symbolic ornament. During its history the building served as Zog’s summer retreat, as the residence of Italian and German occupation authorities, and later as a state guesthouse under communism. Looted in 1997, the villa was later returned to the Albanian royal family but has remained largely closed since the 2000s, though in 2025 a private initiative announced its full restoration to its original 1939 appearance. Despite its decline, the villa has remained one of the most recognisable symbols of Zog’s monarchy and is often cited as an emblem...

The idea of a representative residence at Durrës emerged in the mid-1920s, shortly after Ahmet Zogu assumed the presidency of the Albanian Republic. Its financing drew on a major 1925 Italian state loan for Albanian public works, which also funded roads and infrastructure. The hill site at Durrës was selected for its strategic and symbolic prominence above the harbour, historically linked to the Illyrian, Roman and Venetian heritage of the city.

Several successive architects were involved:

- The Italian monumental designer Armando Brasini drew up an early scheme in the Novecento style, emphasising axial approaches and classical massing.

- Albanian engineer Kristo Sotiri, an architect who had graduated from the University of Padova and the University of Venice, Italy, and who also had 11 years of experience as an architect of the court of Queen Elisabeth of Romania. Between 1926 and 1927, he designed a villa with an octagonal belvedere tower. This first palace suffered serious damage in the 1927 earthquake.

- German architect Hans Köhler proposed a modernist solution with strict geometries and terraces, but this was not executed.

- Finally, Italian planner Florestano Di Fausto, chief architect of Italian public works in Albania, was entrusted with a definitive project. He retained aspects of Köhler’s site plan but redesigned the façades in a monumental Rationalist manner. Architectural historians also mention the involvement of Gherardo Bosio, who collaborated with Di Fausto in Albania in the 1930s. The total cost of the villa is estimated at about 1.5 million gold francs, making it one of the most expensive state projects of the interwar monarchy.

Sotiri's royal villa which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1927

The unexecuted design by Hans Kohler (1928)

The unexecuted design by Hans Kohler (1928)

Florestano di Fausto's design for a new royal villa (1929)

Isometric view of Florestano di Fausto's design (1929)

Construction was completed in 1937, only months before King Zog’s dynastic marriage to Hungarian noblewoman Geraldine in April 1938. The villa served as their summer retreat and as a prestigious venue for royal receptions. Its layout, with wide terraces, a central tower and sweeping views, was widely interpreted as an architectural embodiment of Albania’s sovereignty. Some contemporary commentators even described the ground plan as resembling a double-headed eagle, the national symbol of Albania.

The interiors featured an impressive central hall with Corinthian pilasters, gilt cornices and a marble floor inlaid with the double-headed eagle. Italian craftsmen supplied luxurious fittings, including chandeliers, carved doors and wall coverings in silk and brocade.

Following the Italian invasion of Albania in April 1939, King Zog fled into exile. The villa was seized by the Italian authorities and became the residence of senior occupation officials. After 1943, when Italy capitulated, German officers used the building until their withdrawal in late 1944.

After the communist takeover, the villa was nationalised and redesignated as a state guesthouse. It hosted several important foreign leaders and delegations, including Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in the 1950s and Cambodian head of state Norodom Sihanouk. The villa became a discreet but highly symbolic backdrop for Albania’s shifting foreign relations, although it remained closed to the general public.

With the fall of communism in 1991, the villa briefly returned to use for receptions, hosting foreign visitors including Jimmy Carter. However, during the civil unrest of 1997 the interiors were ransacked, with marble cladding, parquet floors and decorative fixtures stripped or damaged. Images from the late 1990s show bare concrete walls and collapsed plaster.

In 2006–07 the Berisha government returned the property to Crown Prince Leka I. An initial exterior clean-up was undertaken, but comprehensive restoration did not follow. Although, the prince presented a restoration plan, but without support from the authorities he was unable to materialize it. In 2015 the villa was listed for auction due to unpaid debts, but it was ultimately transferred through agreement to private hands rather than sold on the open market.

By the 2010s the villa had become a symbol of Albania’s neglected royal heritage, with journalists documenting its decay and repeated thefts. In June 2025, Albanian media reported that entrepreneur Kadri Morina, in agreement with the royal family, had taken over the site. Morina announced plans to engage Italian and French specialists to restore the villa to its original 1939 appearance within five years. His stated intention is to open the complex to tourism and official functions, making it accessible to Albanians and foreign visitors alike.

The project is notable in that the villa has never been declared a protected cultural monument by the Albanian Ministry of Culture, meaning that restoration proceeds without the oversight normally applied to heritage buildings.