| Presidential Palace of Tirana | |
|---|---|
Presidenca |
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Map indicating the building |
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| General information | |
| Type | work and living |
| Location | Tirana, Tirana County, Albania |
| Construction started | 1939 |
| Completed | 1941 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | ?? (equivalent) |
The Presidential Palace of Tirana (Albanian: Presidenca) is a government residence in Tirana, Albania used by the Albanan government. It is located on the side of the Tirana Park on the Artificial Lake. Construction began by Ahmet Zogu as a Royal Palace in 1939, but the building was not finished until 1941, by which time Zogu had left the country due to the Italian invasion of Albania. The Palace is adjacent to the Tirana Park on the Artificial Lake.
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The building served as a Royal Palace only once, for the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III during his only visit to Albania in May 1941.[1] During the remainder it served as a residence for the Vicegerent Francesco Jacomoni, and later for the Fascist general Alberto Pariani.[1] Both lived there along with their families. After Italy capitulated in September 1943, the Albanian officer who served the Palace hid the palace's official flag from the Germans and sent it to Italy, where it remained until 2003, when it was purchased by Artan Lame and returned to Albania.[1] After the German takeover of the country in September 1943, the Albanian parliament convened in the Palace and proclaimed the detachment of the Albanian Crown from the Italian Crown.[1] In 1945 the Palace was renamed Palace of the Brigades, a name which remained in use throughout the Communist regime,[1] and it is sometimes still in use by the Albanian media.[2]
Nevertheless, the official term used after the communist regime's fall in 1992 is "Presidential Palace". Since 1945 the building serves as the Presidential Palace for official receptions. In January 2010, the Municipality of Tirana has proposed that the Palace be opened to the public.[1]
Architecturally, the Palace belongs to monumental rationalism. It is unique in its genre, not only in Albania but in the wider sphere of Fascist-era architecture, including in Italy itself.[1] The Palace's bas-reliefs were covered with drapes in the '70s during the Cultural Revolution, but not destroyed. Nevertheless, the Palace as a whole, is in dire need of restoration.[1]