His masterpiece, “Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjini”, is the most cited summary of Albanian customary law. Compiled in 1263 articles, it was first published in “Albania” of Konica in 1897-98 and then in the press organ of the Franciscans from the publication of Hylli in 1913 until 1924
Shtjefën Gjeçovi was born in Janjevë on July 12, 1873 – Zym and died on October 14, 1929. He was a Franciscan friar, prominent activist of the patriotic movement, ethnographer, archaeologist and Albanian writer. Leu as the son of Mat Gjeç-Kryezi and Prenda in Janjevë, Vilayet of Kosovo, Ottoman Empire; baptized with the name Mihill and briefly called Hila. His family came from Kryeziu, a village in Puka. In 1884, his parents sent him to the Franciscan college of Troshan, in the province of Shkodra, where he received the first lessons that led him to the path of craftsmanship.
LIFE, EDUCATION, ACTIVITY
In 1888, he finished his studies and started on August 16 in the assembly of Fojnica for the novice year. He continued his studies in Dervente and Banja Luka, he also attended classes in Kreševë, where he met the Croatian epic P. Grgo Martić. Undertakes the work for a study on the Archbishopric of Tivar, with the title in Latin Metropolis Antibarensis. He completed his studies in July 1896, when he returned to his homeland and preached for the first time in Troshan, where he changed his name to Shtjefën-Kostandin. He served as parish priest in Rubik, and in the summer of 1897 in Pejë and was appointed parish priest in Zllakuqan where he opened the first school in July.
Church authorities assigned him to the parish of Laç-Sebastes from mid-1899 to 1905. He reopened the Albanian school in Laç, where he served as a teacher and provided the first materials through Konica in August 1901.
On March 20, 1902, he must have been on the mountain of Tomorri. He left on December 19, 1905 for the Croatian coast, where he was employed as a teacher in Borgo-Erizzo, where he replaced P. Pashk Bardhi and just as quickly asked for his resignation. He quickly asks for his departure and in the autumn he participates in the Assembly of the Bajrak of Kurbin, that same August we find him in Durrës. He was put in charge of the Franciscan colleges in Shkodër in the fall of 1906 to 1907 when he had friction with Monsignor P. Guerini and the Austro-Hungarian consul, in May he was appointed to Gomsiqe where he opened the school on dt. 31.
CONTRIBUTION TO THE NATION
Efforts continue with Dom Nikollë Kaçorri for the smooth running of Kurbina assemblies and the introduction of weapons from foreign markets. It welcomes the works held in Manastir. With the advent of the punitive campaigns, it ranks with the squads. He participates with the leaders of Puka, Mirdita, Lezha, Zadrima and the mountaineers of Bregmata in the assembly that was held in Lezha on July 7, 1913 by the Abbot in an attempt to declare Prenkë pashë Bibdoda king, king. In 1915, he went down to Troshan and then in 1916 he was appointed to Theth, damaged by the cholera of that summer, where he was also written to KLSh as a correspondent member for materials taken from the mouth of the people. Passes to Prekal on v. 1917, the house where it is located was inhabited by the local Austro-Hungarian command, which occupied the little food of the inhabitants.
On dt. On September 17 of that year, he began teaching in the room where he lived in Prekal. For this action, he also informs the General Director of Education in Shkodër, where he shows, among other things, that he held lessons twice a day, in the morning there were 26 boys, and in the afternoon 11 girls. His attempts to withdraw material aid were at first conditional upon the school becoming a religious facility and later turned into threats to ban his activity as a teacher. In 1920, he was sent as a parish priest to Vlora, seen as an aunt by the Italian authorities. He took part in the meetings with the patriots of the province in the fall of that year, according to the newspapers “Politika” and “Mbrotja natsionali” he was described as a warrior of the 20s. Like everywhere, he was interested in the traditions of Labëria. On June 7, 1923, he was appointed secretary of the Franciscan Province.
He wanders in the province of Elbasan from 1924, where during the summer, together with Simon Shuteriq, he discovers in the church of Shënkolli in the city of Elbasan the bell of Sopot of Bërzeshte, an ancient one from the time of Gjergj Arianiti. In 1926, he was appointed to the parish of Zym i Hasi Thata, where he was killed in the place called Kodër Rrezina on October 14, 1929. His body was carried by his Franciscan brother P. Lorenc Mitrović OFM next to the other martyr of the homeland, P. Luigj Pali OFM .
DEEDS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As a student, he undertook a historical paper on the Archbishopric of Tivari, working on at least the first sixteen pages. Gjeçov’s first publications are twelve poems in Konica’s “Albania” under the pen name “Lkêni i Hasit” (Lake of Hasit). Wrote the plays “Dashtunija e atdheut” in 1901, “Kushtrimi asé Mark Kuli Kryeqitas” 1903, “Sxhiptari ngadhênjyeses” 1904, “Princi i dy Dibrave asé Mojs Golemi” 1904; “Albanian who sings”, 1904; “Four happy, as Oedipus of Shqipnis”, 1926; a part of which is still in manuscript found in the Albanian State Archive.
“Skhypton dramat Atil Reguli”, a three-act play by Metastas in 1905, which he published in 1912; “Daughter of Orleans as well as Joan of Arc” translated by A.F. Bergamo and published in 1915; “Shna Ndou i Padues” by the author N. Dal-Gal, 1912. He also wrote the novels, “Mnera e Preza” 1902 and “Rrafgime” 1903. He left unpublished translations of the sentences of Socrates, of the widely read Polish novel Quo vadis (1916) by Shenkiewicz and parts from ‘Scritti su Parga’ by the Italian neoclassical poet Ugo Foskolo. In addition, Gjeçov has left us a total of thirty-eight unpublished original works, among them seven theater pieces and several stories.
KANUNI AS THE MASTERPIECE OF AT HJJEČOVIT
His masterpiece, “Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjini”, is the most mentioned summary of Albanian customary law. Compiled in 1263 articles, it began to be published first in “Albania” of Konica in 1897-98 and then in the press organ of the Franciscans from the publication of Hylli in 1913 until 1924. During the frequent movement between parishes in the North from Kurbin to the Dukagjin Plain, he gathered the norms of the terrestrial order among the most “late” stratifications of the latter. The signs of this work were visible as early as 1911 when it had a strong influence on the publication of “Visaret e Kombit” by sivella V. Prennushi. Not counting the numerous articles “Popular Tales” (1903), “Doke e zakone štojeje” (1907), “Way of life in Malci” (1908), “Doke e zakonesh mashash” (1910-1911), “Oil” in death cases (1917-1920). Some of the manuscripts were lost with his death. The publication of the Canon was achieved in 1933, after the death of the collector, with a foreword by P. Fishta.(konica.al)
