Palace of Brigades opens to public

The Albanian government has decided to allow the public to visit the Palace of Brigades, one of Tirana’s few architectural gems.

The decision followed a request made last month by Tirana’s mayor Edi Rama, who asked the executive to open the palace on November 29 when Albania marks the 60th anniversary of the end of Nazi occupation, and use the entrance fees to pay for much-needed repairs.

The government declared it a “historic monument” and decided to renovate its “historic and monumental values” and open it to visitors, a statement said.

The Palace of Brigades, named after partisan units who fought under the former communist regime at the end of World War II, now is used only to welcome foreign leaders and other dignitaries and for an annual November 29 reception marking Albania’s liberation from the Nazis.