Written first by historian Jahja Drançolli on Nacionale.com
Jahja Drançolli, a well-known historian from Kosovo, has published an interesting article about the existence of a tavern in Pristina. It is about the 15th century. According to the historian Drançolli, this was the first tavern of its kind in Kosovo.
In his writing, entitled “A tavern in Pristina in 1438”, which was published on the website “Prishtina in history”, Drançolli shows that in the 15th century, Pristina would acquire the status of an autonomous city, being headed by a “mullet or prince”.
“Almost nothing has been preserved from the material cultural heritage from the period when Pristina is referred to by its current name. However, the numerous written sources, which are preserved in well-known archives of the region and the world, enable a reconstruction close to the time we are talking about.
In this context, an early description is given by Jan Kantakuzeni (Ίωάννης Καντακουζηνός, 1295/6-1383), great emperor and historian, who had visited Pristina in 1342. Over time (in the first half of the century 15th), the city would acquire the status of an autonomous city headed by a kefali or prince. From this time, the courts, the administration, as well as the city’s prison are known” – he wrote.
In his writing, Drançolli has mentioned the exact year when the existence of the Pristina tavern is mentioned. According to Drançolli, this tavern had different clientele, as it was frequented by settlers from Ragusa and citizens of Pristina.
“From this time, according to preserved historical sources, Prishtina had taken on the appearance of a typical medieval European city, which possessed several neighborhoods and squares; the market accompanied by many craft and commercial shops (“Piaza di Prishtina”, in 1436), and in this context the field of knightly games stands out, which according to documents from Ragusa is mentioned in the year 1436.
Also in Pristina, the sources of the time prove the existence of a tavern or the famous tavern of Pristina (the first of its kind in our country), which you mentioned in 1438. The tavern of Pristina has functioned according to the model of the taverns of the Republic of Ragusa, as well as those of the Mediterranean where, in addition to food, mainly wine is served local, which is also known in the Republic of Ragusa through merchants and settlers of Ragusa. The clientele in the mentioned tavern was not only made up of settlers from Ragusa, but also of citizens of Pristina and other citizens of Kosovo”, he writes.
Reference
Balkan Academia 