Königliche Villa (Durrës)
Ahmet Zogu's Palace of Durres was the Summer Palace of King Zogu in Durrës. It is set on the Durrës hill, 98 m above the sea level. The sea can be seen from three sides of the Palace. It is extended in the form of an eagle and was built in 1926. Kristo Sotiri, an architect that had graduated in the University of Padova and the University of Venice, Italy projected the Palace. The architect when he projected the building had a vast experience that included being the architect of the Court of Queen Elisabeth of Wied of Romania. The building was finished in 1937 few months before King Zogu married Queen Géraldine Apponyi de Nagyappony.[1]
The Palace has been used after WWII as a government reception building. In it have slept many communist leaders from Nikita Khrushchev to the Cambodian prince Samde Norodom Sihanuk. Former US President Jimmy Carter also has been one of its guests in the '90s.[2]
The Palace was restituted to Leka Crown Prince of Albania in 2007.[3]