Vila Vrioni

A detailed architectural survey commissioned by the Institute of Cultural Monuments documents every facade, floor plan, and decorative element of the compound — from the Ottoman-era hamami with its domed ceiling to the bas-relief carvings of the dhoma e mire (finest room). The survey reveals the full scale of damage after decades of neglect and misuse under the communist regime, and forms the basis for the restoration masterplan.

Restoration begins with the most urgent priority: securing the building itself. The original roof structure, weakened by decades of neglect under and after the communist regime, is fully reconstructed to halt further water damage and structural deterioration. With the roof sealed and the building protected from the elements, the foundation is laid for the comprehensive restoration to follow — work that has continued without interruption to the present day.

Restoration begins in earnest. Scaffolding envelops the main facade as structural assessment is completed and the heritage designation placard is mounted. Inside, decades of communist-era paint are painstakingly stripped from the walls — each layer a stratum of different eras, the geological record of a building put to many involuntary uses. The original lime plaster begins to re-emerge.

Major structural work advances. The basement vaults — their stone arches intact after more than a century — are excavated and consolidated. Floors are stripped back to their original timber structure. Throughout the building, construction materials accumulate as the scale of the task becomes clear. A remarkable discovery: original wooden ceilings, including a magnificent oval-medallion panel, survive beneath communist-era coverings.

The stone outbuilding — a traditional Albanian konak — takes shape with extraordinary clarity. Local craftsmen lay dressed limestone paving in the courtyard and fit new arched windows of dark-stained timber, faithful to the originals. In the main building, the restoration of the wooden coffered ceilings reaches a spectacular milestone: room-by-room, intricate hand-crafted panels of richly oiled walnut recreate the original interiors to a standard that would not shame a palace.

Work continues across both the main villa and the outbuildings as finishing work advances room by room. Video documentation captures the current state of the restoration. The vision of a fully completed manor — serving as both a memorial to the Vrioni family's legacy and a living cultural heritage site within UNESCO-listed Berat — draws steadily closer.