About 18 kilometers south of Fier, in the Ardenica hills, lies the thirteenth-century monastery, one of the most important buildings of the Orthodox Church in Albania. The monastery was founded in 1282 by the Byzantine emperor Andronikos II.
It is also the place where the national hero Gjergj Kastrioti – Skanderbeg, was married in 1451. The Church of Saint Mary is rich in sacred frescoes painted by the Zografi brothers, while the surrounding area offers beautiful panoramic views over Lake Karavasta and the fields of Mallakastra.
