Monastery of Ardenica stands on a hill overlooking the village of Kolonjë in Myzeqe. Above the entrance gate is the date May 1, 1477, which is believed to be the construction date. The church of the monastery is dedicated to the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” and is celebrated on September 8. Ardenicë means water source, while Theofan Popa in the book “Inscriptions of the Churches of Albania” emphasizes that the word Ardenicë comes from Greek, meaning refreshing. The Virgin Mary, with her prayers, refreshes the faithful from the fire of sins. The monastery is surrounded by high stone walls. The entrance to the monastery is from the east through an arched gate. The courtyard is paved with cobblestones. The verandas are two-story and serve as cells for the monks. The ground floor was used as a granary for produce. Within the monastery grounds, there is a mill for producing olive oil. The monastery has its beginnings in the 10th century with the small church of “St. Trinity,” which has interior dimensions of 5.15×3.06 meters.

The Monastery of Ardenica has several construction phases. It took on the form of a monastery in the 13th-14th centuries, during the time of the Despotate of Epirus. The church of the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” is believed to have its origins in the 15th-16th centuries. Nektar Tërpo Voskopojari signed an engraving in the Monastery of Ardenica. It contains a short prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary in four languages: Greek, Latin, Aromanian, and Albanian. The engraving has the following text in Albanian written with the Greek alphabet: Ανασσα Μητρο Παρθενε / βοηθησον τοις δουλοις σου. Regina mater et Virgo auxilia / re Servis touis. / α ψ λ α (=1731). / ο Ιερομόναχος Νεκτάριος. “Virgjin Mamë e perëndis uro prë ne fajtorët”. 1731 Nektar Jeromonaku” The engraving depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ in her hands. It dates to 1731, and below it is the signature of Hieromonk Nektarios. At that time, Nektar Tërpo Voskopojari was the abbot of the Monastery of Ardenica. It is also believed that at the end of the 17th century, the monastery was destroyed.

Its current form belongs to an 18th-century reconstruction. In this century, the church of the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary,” the small church of “St. Trinity,” and other parts of the monastery were rebuilt. This is confirmed by an inscription found on a stone plaque on the outer wall of the southern part of the church of “St. Trinity”: +  Α Ψ Ο Η (=1778) ΜΑΙΟΥ Α. Ανεκαινήσθησαν εκ βάθ / ρων τά γύρουεν κτήρια επί / αρχ(ιερατείας) (τ)ού Β(ε)λ(ε)γ(ράδων) Ιωάσαφ και η / γ(ου)μ(ένου) Κλ(ή)μ(εντος) καί μανασσή / Ιερ(ο)μοναχου τε Μωυση ιεροθ(εου), / Ιακώβ(ου) Θεοδοσίου, Δανιήλ, Θεο / κ΄λτου, Διονυσί(ου), Ιωαννικίου μονα / χου δε Κυρίλλου καί Αθανασίου δ / ιακόνου ων μνησθητι / Κ(ύρι)ε έν τη βασειλεια σου.” This inscription informs us that the monastery was rebuilt on May 1, 1778. Another inscription on the southern wall of the church of “St. Trinity” reads: “Διεκαιωίσθησαν εκ βάθρ(ων) τά γύροθεν κτήρια επί αρχιερατεύοντος Β(ε)λ(ε)γ(ράδων) Κ(υρίου) Βασιλείου επις(τα)τεύοντος οικ(ο)ν(ο)μου. Χρήστο Λέσι, συμβούλον τέ Σπύρο Γίνη, Ιακόβου Βόσδου, Νικολάου Γέργι ιερέος δε Μάρκου. Υπό τών εκ Δίβρα μαστότων Σαλή καί Σα…. Πραμτ. Γριγόρι Ζή.”. Among the administrators of the monastery is mentioned Luc Bozdo, who repaired the burnt cells and rooms. On a stone plaque written in Byzantine Greek, it is stated that in 1905, Economist Kristo Leshi built the buildings around the monastery.

In 1913, the first Albanian school was opened in the Monastery of Ardenica with the patriotic teacher Economist Kozma Dhima. For a short time in the 1920s, it served as a boarding school. During the time when caretaker Llaz Bozo was in charge, the bell tower was built in 1925. In the absence of water sources, the monastery used cisterns to collect rainwater. There are four such cisterns, including the well cistern, the southern one adjacent to the large church, the cistern next to the small church, etc. The “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” Monastery in Ardenica covers an area of 2,500 square meters and owned: 1- agricultural land 1,900 dynym, 2- pastures 1,504 dynym, 3- groves 397 dynym, 4- meadows 576 dynym, 5- forests around the monastery 20 dynym, 6- fruit trees 3 dynym, 7- 1,050 olive trees, etc. In February 1754, the veranda of the church was built. This is confirmed by an inscription carved in stone on the first arch of the western veranda column of the church.

For the past three years, the local festival “The Coronation of Gjergj Kastriot – Skanderbeg with Donika Arianiti” has been revived.

Monastery of Ardenica stands on a hill overlooking the village of Kolonjë in Myzeqe. Above the entrance gate is the date May 1, 1477, which is believed to be the construction date. The church of the monastery is dedicated to the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” and is celebrated on September 8. Ardenicë means water source, while Theofan Popa in the book “Inscriptions of the Churches of Albania” emphasizes that the word Ardenicë comes from Greek, meaning refreshing. The Virgin Mary, with her prayers, refreshes the faithful from the fire of sins. The monastery is surrounded by high stone walls. The entrance to the monastery is from the east through an arched gate. The courtyard is paved with cobblestones. The verandas are two-story and serve as cells for the monks. The ground floor was used as a granary for produce. Within the monastery grounds, there is a mill for producing olive oil. The monastery has its beginnings in the 10th century with the small church of “St. Trinity,” which has interior dimensions of 5.15×3.06 meters.

The Monastery of Ardenica has several construction phases. It took on the form of a monastery in the 13th-14th centuries, during the time of the Despotate of Epirus. The church of the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” is believed to have its origins in the 15th-16th centuries. Nektar Tërpo Voskopojari signed an engraving in the Monastery of Ardenica. It contains a short prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary in four languages: Greek, Latin, Aromanian, and Albanian. The engraving has the following text in Albanian written with the Greek alphabet: Ανασσα Μητρο Παρθενε / βοηθησον τοις δουλοις σου. Regina mater et Virgo auxilia / re Servis touis. / α ψ λ α (=1731). / ο Ιερομόναχος Νεκτάριος. “Virgjin Mamë e perëndis uro prë ne fajtorët”. 1731 Nektar Jeromonaku” The engraving depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Christ in her hands. It dates to 1731, and below it is the signature of Hieromonk Nektarios. At that time, Nektar Tërpo Voskopojari was the abbot of the Monastery of Ardenica. It is also believed that at the end of the 17th century, the monastery was destroyed.

Its current form belongs to an 18th-century reconstruction. In this century, the church of the “Nativity of the Virgin Mary,” the small church of “St. Trinity,” and other parts of the monastery were rebuilt. This is confirmed by an inscription found on a stone plaque on the outer wall of the southern part of the church of “St. Trinity”: +  Α Ψ Ο Η (=1778) ΜΑΙΟΥ Α. Ανεκαινήσθησαν εκ βάθ / ρων τά γύρουεν κτήρια επί / αρχ(ιερατείας) (τ)ού Β(ε)λ(ε)γ(ράδων) Ιωάσαφ και η / γ(ου)μ(ένου) Κλ(ή)μ(εντος) καί μανασσή / Ιερ(ο)μοναχου τε Μωυση ιεροθ(εου), / Ιακώβ(ου) Θεοδοσίου, Δανιήλ, Θεο / κ΄λτου, Διονυσί(ου), Ιωαννικίου μονα / χου δε Κυρίλλου καί Αθανασίου δ / ιακόνου ων μνησθητι / Κ(ύρι)ε έν τη βασειλεια σου.” This inscription informs us that the monastery was rebuilt on May 1, 1778. Another inscription on the southern wall of the church of “St. Trinity” reads: “Διεκαιωίσθησαν εκ βάθρ(ων) τά γύροθεν κτήρια επί αρχιερατεύοντος Β(ε)λ(ε)γ(ράδων) Κ(υρίου) Βασιλείου επις(τα)τεύοντος οικ(ο)ν(ο)μου. Χρήστο Λέσι, συμβούλον τέ Σπύρο Γίνη, Ιακόβου Βόσδου, Νικολάου Γέργι ιερέος δε Μάρκου. Υπό τών εκ Δίβρα μαστότων Σαλή καί Σα…. Πραμτ. Γριγόρι Ζή.”. Among the administrators of the monastery is mentioned Luc Bozdo, who repaired the burnt cells and rooms. On a stone plaque written in Byzantine Greek, it is stated that in 1905, Economist Kristo Leshi built the buildings around the monastery.

In 1913, the first Albanian school was opened in the Monastery of Ardenica with the patriotic teacher Economist Kozma Dhima. For a short time in the 1920s, it served as a boarding school. During the time when caretaker Llaz Bozo was in charge, the bell tower was built in 1925. In the absence of water sources, the monastery used cisterns to collect rainwater. There are four such cisterns, including the well cistern, the southern one adjacent to the large church, the cistern next to the small church, etc. The “Nativity of the Virgin Mary” Monastery in Ardenica covers an area of 2,500 square meters and owned: 1- agricultural land 1,900 dynym, 2- pastures 1,504 dynym, 3- groves 397 dynym, 4- meadows 576 dynym, 5- forests around the monastery 20 dynym, 6- fruit trees 3 dynym, 7- 1,050 olive trees, etc. In February 1754, the veranda of the church was built. This is confirmed by an inscription carved in stone on the first arch of the western veranda column of the church.

For the past three years, the local festival “The Coronation of Gjergj Kastriot – Skanderbeg with Donika Arianiti” has been revived.