The Epitaph of Gllavenica, a 14th century shroud made by Orthodox monk Savia from Ballsh, Albania. The shroud is made of silk, linen and gold, and symbolizes the burial cloth of Jesus. Currently located in Historical Museum in Tirana [1443×789]

The epitaph of Gllavenica dates back to 1373. The name “Epitaph of Gllavenica” is from the researcher Theofan Popa, based on the ecclesiastical title of Bishop Kallist of Gllavenica and Berat. The length of the epitaph is 212 cm, as much as the length of an ordinary grave, while the width is 114 cm. The epitaph is embroidered on a square-shaped cloth, with a frame about 14 cm wide. The frame is decorated with crosses, placed two by two in a parallel line. In the four corners of the epitaph are the evangelists. Inside the frame is the emblematic cross of the bishop of Gllavenica, Kalist, who is the creator of the epitaph. The central figure of the epitaph is Christ lying on a sheet. The epitaph is embroidered on soft silk with gold-washed silver threads by the monk Savia, commissioned by Gjergj Arianiti. Years later, it ended up in the cellar of a house in Ballsh, then in the Cathedral “Shën Mërija” in the fortress of Berat and in 1981 in the stands of the National Historical Museum in Tirana.