Rozafa

Inspired by the Legend of Rozafa, a popular folktale from Albania, Rozafa Castle is a thousand-year-old monument erected on a rocky hill at the entrance of the city of Shkodra, in its southeast. According to the legend, the castle was built by three brothers who faced difficulties in completing the structure. Each night, the walls they built would mysteriously collapse. Desperate to understand the reason for this, they sought the advice of an oracle who revealed that the castle would only stand if a sacrifice was made. The brothers decided that one of their wives should be sacrificed. They agreed to bury the wife in the castle walls and swore not to tell their wives too late about their fate. Two of the brothers didn’t keep their word and told their wives not to come the next day to bring them food, manipulating Rozafa into going to be sacrificed. In the narrative, Rozafa faces betrayal from her husband’s family, who opt for her sacrifice to ensure the castle stands strong. As they wall her in, she requests to have one breast outside to feed her child and one eye free to watch over him. This heart-wrenching choice reflects the profound love and resilience of mothers who often make unimaginable sacrifices for their children. She became a symbol of maternal sacrifice.