Later afternoon on July 31, the antique wall connected to the Venetian Tower on Veliera Square was destroyed with a pickaxe by the construction company contracted to implement the urban renewal project for the Municipality of Durrës.
While the destruction was taking place, media outlet Amfora called with the director of the Regional Directorate of National Culture, Ledion Lako, who said that he would send specialists to inspect the case. Amfora published the following pictures of the destroyed wall:
The wall, connected to the Venetian Tower, falls under Archeological Zone A, which is fully protected by the Albanian law. It certainly was not allowed to be touched by the construction company, just like the surrounding area, which by now has been covered in concrete.
The antique wall was additionally protected by a decision of the National Archeological Council, which advised to fill up the area to protect it from further damage. Moreover, several court orders prohibited any further construction work in Zone A.
In spite of these court orders and decision by the appropriate government institutions, it once again seems that power of Mayor of Durrës Vangjush Dako remains unchecked and that his pet project, which is costing nearly half of Durrës’s annual budget, will be finished no matter the consequences.
