Pal Dukagjini
Silver cross donated by Pal Dukagjini to St. Alexander’s Church of Orosh (Shën Llezhdri i Oroshit) in 1447
Pal Dukagjini has been described as one of the most capable and loved lords of medieval Albania. All known Dukagjini today are his descendants.
Pal Dukagjini was a son of Tanush i Madh, son of Lekë who is mentioned in the 1393 agreement between the Dukagjini and the Venetians about control over Lezhë. Some sources confuse him with the brother of his grandfather, but he couldn’t have been a signatory in 1393 as when he died around 1450-1455 he was ca. 61 years old. Giammaria Biemmi (1742) writes that he died in 1446 at the age of 61, but he couldn’t have died as early as 1446 as he was recorded as a participant in later events. Pal’s sons were Lekë III, Gjergj, Nikollë and Progon.
According to Marin Barleti (1504), Pal was lord of the area “which the Epirotes [Albanians] call Upper Zadrima up to Lower Moesia, a bountiful region”. About his son, Nikollë, Barleti writes that “a bust of this unbreakable brave man (..) is still found in Peneropolis (..) which the locals today call Prizren”. These details about his territory show that the later activity of the Dukaginzade branch (direct descendants of Pal) which focused on the area around Prizren is a continuation of the pre-medieval, traditional connection of the family with the area from Zadrima and Mirdita to Prizren. In 1447, Pal donated a silver cross to the church of St. Alexander (Shën Llesh) in Orosh, Mirdita. On the silver cross the following sentence was marked: “1447 a di 7 agusto, questa crosi fecie fare Sinor Polo Duchagin in tempo di predetto signor e di Piro Ducha, e mi Niksa Adamovic” (7 August, 1447, by the order of Lord Pal Dukagjini, during the era of the already mentioned lord Piero Duka, made by Niksa Adamovic). Piero Duka must be Pjetër Perlati, Catholic priest and commander of the League of Lezhë. It has been suggested that the used “Duka” as a diminutive of “Dukagjini” for a surnamed to show his kinship ties with the Dukagjini. Niksa Adamovic was a craftsman in the city of Ragusa. The silver cross was photographed in 1890 by French consul A. Degrand. It was destroyed when the church was burnt down in 1898.
Pal took part in the assembly of Lezha in 1444 and was a strong supporter of the League of Lezhë. He fought in the battle of Torvioll and was a skilled diplomat who tried hard to overcome the factional disputes in the league. All of Skanderbeg’s biographers describe Pal as one of the most benevolent lords to have lived in Albania. Giammaria Biemmi describes Pal as follows:
In the last days of that year [1446], Pal Dukagjini died of apoplexy [internal bleeding, stroke] at the age of 61. He spent 40 of his years as the lord of his territory. He was a prince who was gifted with all that which a man of his character would need. [He was] of noble feelings; a man of his word; grateful towards all which was good; flexible in agreements and discussions; lenient in punishments; intelligent in agreements and capable of dealing with every kind of intrigue in negotiations, with gentle manners and charming in order to win the fondness and respect of people. In this way, everybody considered him worthy and capable to govern a large kingdom.
Skanderbeg said that if Albania had more princes so capable and so good as Pal Dukagjini, Albania would soon become one of the most flourishing places in the world. Vulpiano (the place where his residence was located), when he inherited it from his father was nothing more than a small and poor castle which had no more than 1500 people, and when he died it was one of the wealthiest and most populous cities in Albania with 15,000 inhabitants. The city with all these inhabitants was led by the fame of his wise and prudent governance. His death was for Skanderbeg a great loss and a great moment of sadness, not only because of the personal friendship he had with him [Pal], but also because he lost support in keeping his allies [together], because with his attitude he preserved unity and harmony among the other allies.