579 years ago, on March 2, 1444, the “Covenant of Lezha” was held. The assembly of the nobility was held in the cathedral of the church of Shën Koll in the city of Lezha, where today the memorial of Gjergj Kastriot Skënderbeg is located today.

It constitutes one of the brightest moments of the anti-Ottoman resistance, in the middle of the XV century, as it was the first pan-Albanian political and military union known in the history of Albania.

The decisions of the assembly were:

The creation of an Arbëror League of all Albanian nobles creating a unified front against the Otomans.
The formation of a united Albanian Army with Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg as the commander in chief.
The creation of a common treasury to meet the expenses of the war.
The Treaty of Lezha was the assembly where the foundations of the national unity and state tradition of the Albanians were laid.

Skenderbeg, as commander in chief of the army, began to organize the army, which consisted of the permanent forces and the forces that would be mobilized in case of war. The permanent forces were formed from the wards of the Albanian rulers, according to the quota set by the Assembly of Lezha.

In the army of 8,000 cavalry and 7,000 infantry, one third was Skenderbey’s Guard.

/k.s./