The mosaic “Balisca – The Memory that Awakens the Land” has recently been added to the city of Durrës. This artwork, inspired by the history of Albania’s heritage and created by Durrësi Aktiv within the framework of the project “Heritage is Our Brand / Trashëgimia na dallon”, funded by the European Union and implemented by DMO Albania and EU Policy Hub / Integration Policy Forum, was inaugurated on 22 May in Azem Hajdari Square in the coastal city.
Artist Ivo Moja brought into modern times the stories of ancient Dyrrachium and a long-
standing tradition that has survived to this day—the production of wine.
The story of Balisca wine recounts the memories of a Roman soldier, Titius, who falls in love with an Illyrian girl named Diona during his stay in Dyrrachium. Years later, at a celebration near Rome, the taste of the Illyrian Balisca wine revives his longing, love, and memories of the Illyrian land—its vineyards, festivities, and the life he once shared there. It is a story that becomes a bridge between memory, love, and our cultural heritage.
The presentation ceremony was attended by civil society activists, local citizens, school
students, as well as Denisa Luarasi, Chairwoman of the Durrës Municipal Council, and Floreta
Kërtusha, Head of the European Integration Sector.
The mosaic “Balisca – The Memory that Awakens the Land” is dedicated to Illyrian wine, highly
prized in ancient times, and brings its legacy into the present through the love story of Diona of
Dyrrachium and the Roman soldier Titius, as well as the memories evoked in him by the
sweetness of Balisca wine.
The project “Heritage is Our Brand / Trashëgimia na dallon” is funded by the European Union
and aims to make cultural heritage more tangible and accessible to younger generations
through storytelling.
The mosaic “Balisca – The Memory that Awakens the Land” joins the list of mosaics that were
once found throughout ancient Dyrrachium. The inauguration of this artwork also coincided
with the closing of Europe Week.
