The building where dictator Enver Hoxha lived, Villa 31, is being reconstructed. Since the fall of the communist regime in 1990, Villa 31 had no function. Now, it is being prepared to receive a new destination.

During French President Emmanuel Macron’s first visit to Albania a few months ago, Prime Minister Edi Rama declared that the former dictator’s villa would be transformed into an art space.

“We said that everything that the previous owner hated and wanted to get rid of should be done in these walls. One of the most hated things of the dictatorship and Enver Hoxha was precisely the free expression of artists. In conclusion, we decided this and started taking steps to open the doors of this house to new creators. We are not completely erasing the past, but we are turning it into a source of energy for freedom of expression with respect and admiration,” Rama said on October 17, 2023.

According to the decision of the Council of Ministers in October last year, Villa 31 would be given for use for a cultural project. Some premises of this building will be used for the realization of the “Vila Art Residence Tirana” project.

The implementation of the project will be done by the Ministry of Culture, which will assume only the electricity and water supply fees, as well as the cost of maintenance and treatment of these premises throughout the period of commissioning.

After 1991, the new addition to the building, which was built in 1973, was managed by the Directorate of Government Services and served for official receptions and various activities. Its old part has functioned as a business.

/m.ll/