Kranë
Village in Vlorë, Albania
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kranë (Albanian definite form: Krana; Greek: Κρανιά; romanized Kraniá) is a village in Vlorë County, southern Albania.[1] At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality of Finiq.[2]
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History
In antiquity it was an Epirote town, known as "Elikranon" (Greek: Ελίκρανον).[3] The ancient ruins can be seen even today. The name "Krania" is firstly mentioned in the Chronicle of the Tocco in 1412.[4] In 1856, the Greek scholar Panagiotis Aravantinos writes about the village:[5] «... a village with 15 houses, of Greek origin, the spoken language is Greek and belongs to the diocese of Delvino.»[5]
In 1925-1926, the village had a Greek school with 50 students and 1 teacher.[6] During World War II the village was burnt by Albanian partisans.[7]
Thimios Lolis (1880-1961) was born in the village, a Greek chieftain who fought in the Macedonian Struggle in the group of Pavlos Melas, the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus, the Balkan Wars and in the Greco-Italian War.[8][9] A monument to honour him exists in the village. Between 2018-19, the Thimios Lolis monument was vandalized twice by Albanian nationalists.[10][11]
Demographics
In the Ottoman defter of the Sanjak of Delvina from 1431-1432, 4 villages in the area of Vurgu are recorded: Finiki (Finiqi), Vurgo, Jeromi and Krajna, each with very few inhabitants. Among these villages, in the Ottoman register mentioned above typical Albanian names are attested, such as: Gjin, Reçi, Leka, Gjon, Dorza, Meksh Nika and Deda.[12]
Kranë (Krajna) is again recorded in the Ottoman register of 1520 as a settlement in the Sanjak of Delvina with a total of 19 households, the vast majority of attested household heads bearing typical Albanian anthroponyms: Gjin Ilia; Bardh Kola; Gjon Pelegri; Tole Dhima; Gjin Pelegri; Jorgji Kasneci; Nikolla Murojet; Golem Sirpopi; Bardh Lopci; Lekë Lopci; Teodor Istrozi; Martin Gjoni; Martin Kasneci; Dhimo Gjini; Kosta Kalici; Gjon Marini; Kosta Kosta; Deda Gjoni; Gjin Kasneci.[13]
Kranë is subsequently attested in the defter of 1583 in the Sanjak of Delvina where its size had decreased to 9 households, the vast majority of attested household heads bearing Albanian anthroponyms: Gjin Gjoni; Dhimo Gjon Pope; Pope Gjin Pope; Dhimo Kondi; Bard Kondi; Gjon Gjini; Ogos (possibly, Ivgos) Dhimo; Qirko Dhimo; Dhimo Gjini.[14]
The village is inhabited by Greeks and the population was 854 in 1992.[15]
Notable people
- Thimios Lolis (Greek: Θύμιος Λώλης; 1880-1961) Greek chieftain who fought in the Macedonian Struggle, the Balkan Wars, the Struggle for Northern Epirus and the Greco-Italian War[8][9]