Vuno
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Vuno Vunoi |
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Coordinates: 40 ° 8 ′ N , 19 ° 42 ′ E |
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| Basic data | |||
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| Qark : | Vlora | ||
| Municipality : | Himara | ||
| Height : | 350 m above sea level A. | ||
| Residents : | 200 (2012) | ||
| Telephone code : | (+355) 039 | ||
| Postal code : | 9417 | ||
Vuno ( Albanian also Vunoi ; Greek Βουνό Vounó ) is a small village within the Bashkia (municipality) of Himara in southern Albania . It is located on the Albanian Riviera above the Ionian Sea , about halfway between Dhërmi and Himara.
Due to the regional boom in beach tourism , Vuno is increasingly being visited by tourists. There are overnight accommodations on the beach and, since 2013, in the form of individual holiday apartments in the vicinity of Vuno. Vuno is a good example of the typical architecture of the Albanian Riviera. The around 200 stone houses, the narrow and cobbled streets and the Mediterranean gardens offer high potential for tourism in the future and make Vuno a special cultural asset in Albania. The British painter and writer Edward Lear once felt reminded of the “Palazzini” of Italy when he saw the place .
geography
Vuno is located on the southern slope of the mountain Mjegullosh (alb. Mjegull : fog) of the Çika massif at an altitude between 300 and 450 meters above sea level. The mountains in the north rise partially up to 1300 meters above sea level. The Ionian coast is about two kilometers as the crow flies and can be reached via a winding coastal road at Jala Beach. The region is characterized by the Mediterranean climate : Drought vegetation with Mediterranean maquis is characteristic. Waters are rare. The few streams often have no water in summer. To the southeast of the village is a small water reservoir about 100 meters long and 60 meters wide.
In the dry summer region, in addition to the macchia mentioned, olives , oranges , lemons , figs , walnuts , grapevines and various types of flowers grow . In some cases, the locals still cultivate and process these plants into various products today. The agricultural area covers 196 hectares, of which 177 hectares are olive groves, eleven hectares are orchards and eight hectares are vineyards.
The neighboring villages are Iliad in the west and Himara in the east.
traffic
The national road SH8 leads below the village , which connects the industrial cities of Fier and Vlora in the northwest with the coastal town of Saranda in the southeast, which is popular with bathing tourists . However, Vuno is by no means a transit point for transit traffic. Since the SH8 is quite winding, all heavy traffic is transferred to the SH4 . The SH8 was renovated along its entire length in the Albanian Riviera in 2008 and some sections of the route were also equipped with crash barriers.
There is a small dock for boats at Jala. There is a small port in Himara, the next larger ports are in Vlora and Saranda.
population
Vuno has been badly affected by the rural exodus in recent years . The population is now a tenth of what it was before World War II . Many young people have emigrated to cities or other countries, mostly older people have stayed. Vuno has around 200 people or 40 families today. By contrast, the Bashkia of Himara speak of a much higher population of 457 or 162 families.
The exact ethnic composition is not known, as censuses have not recorded ethnicity for decades. Traditionally, Vuno, like the entire Albanian Riviera, is inhabited by Albanians and Greeks who are Christian Orthodox and belong to the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania . The Albanians speak the Tuscan dialect of the Labëria region .
history
The oldest finds of human settlement in Vuno date back to the 14th century, when the first church was built by the Venetians near Jala . The Church of Saint Spyridon from 1778 and the Mother of God Church from 1783 are from a later period. There are also 22 other churches in the village, most of which, like most of the houses, are abandoned and dilapidated. Vuno hasn't had his own priest for years.
In the 1930s, the then Albanian King Ahmet Zogu built a boarding school for girls from all over Albania in the southeastern part of the village. There is also a primary school in the village, which was built in the early 20th century and from which many intellectuals emerged. Today it is a hostel.
During the Second World War dozens of men from Vuno fought for the partisans under Enver Hoxha . For their services they received the title of “folk hero”, which Vuno also called the “city of heroes”.
Sons and daughters
- Kristo Bega , activist of the Greek Revolution
- Odhise Kasneci , politician during the Albanian national movement in the 19th and 20th centuries and a member of the League of Prizren
- Kostandin Kasneci , Austro-Hungarian general
- Spiro Koleka (1908–2001), politician of the Labor Party of Albania
- Gogo Nushi (1913–1970), politician of the Labor Party of Albania
- Zaho Koka (1920–1944), partisan leader in Vuno during the Second World War
- Odhise Grillo (1932-2003), writer and poet
- Spiro Comorra , comedy poet
- Dhimitër Anagnosti (* 1936), film and stage director
- Robert Ndrenika (born 1942), actor
- Leo Gjika , educator
Townscape
Vuno is characterized by its rows of houses on the hillside, which particularly characterize the folk architecture with their stone facades and roofs as well as the narrow windows. Some houses are over 200 years old and date to around 1783. As a result of emigration, many houses were abandoned and today (2012) around 60 percent are in ruins. There are 25 churches in the village, the majority of which have fallen into disrepair.
economy
Vuno has a typical village economy. The few older ones are busy with the cultivation of olives, citrus fruits, nuts and other fruits as well as with the livestock. Goats in particular are bred and the locally produced cheese is one of Vuno's culinary specialties.
Tourism in Vuno offered itself as a new perspective. With projects and financial aid, the Albanian government wants to curb the rural exodus in the region and invest more in the pristine coastal landscapes of the Albanian Riviera. According to the Ministry of Public Works, 75 dilapidated stone houses in Vuno will be renovated over the next few years and will be able to accommodate tourists as bed-and-breakfast houses. The same will be done with the profits made with 25 other buildings.
Jala
With the village of Jala, Vuno has its own beach and a small dock for boats. It can be reached via a winding road about five kilometers long that branches off east of Vuno. The wide sandy beach of Jala is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. There are a few small hotels and a campsite.
environmental pollution
Vuno and its Jala beach have different environmental problems to contend with. For example, waste disposal has become a problem since the 1990s. In the old town, partially dilapidated houses are used as landfills. And on the beach at Jala, many camping areas leave a lot to be desired in terms of cleanliness. Plastic bottles and bags in particular are a big problem.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Besar Likmeta: Albania's stone villages await to be revived. In: Balkan Insight . August 17, 2012, accessed on August 23, 2012 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Alqiviadh Dede: The Albanian Riviera - Vuno and Jala as their pearls. In: Shqip . September 15, 2009, accessed August 23, 2012 (Albanian).
- ↑ a b Jerasimo Bashi: Bureau for Management and Protection of Soil. (No longer available online.) In: Bashkia Himara. Archived from the original on May 4, 2012 ; Retrieved August 24, 2012 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Ethan Gelber: Vuno hostel and village. In: Open Places. March 28, 2012, accessed August 23, 2012 .
- ↑ Camping Jala. (No longer available online.) In: Bashkia Himara. Archived from the original on February 21, 2016 ; Retrieved August 24, 2012 (Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Tourist Vuno. (No longer available online.) In: Outdoor Albania Association. July 1, 2010, archived from the original on July 19, 2012 ; Retrieved August 23, 2012 (English, unknown language, Albanian). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
