Sazan

Sazan or Sazanit (Italian Saseno ) is small a island, profiting from a strategic situation at the entry of bay of Vlorë in Albania. It has a surface of 5 km ² and is uninhabited. It cannot be visited.

History

Its old name is Saso .

To modern times, the island belonged to Venice, and became an entity of the British protectorate of the Ionian islands after the Napoleonean Guerres.

In 1864 it was yielded to Greece with the other Ionian islands. After the end of the second war of Balkans in 1913, Italy and Austria force Greece to evacuate the southern part of modern Albania. Considering this island too not very important to take the risk of a conflict with Italy, Greece leaves the island, which was in its turn occupied by the Italy on October 30th 1914 which installed a military base there. This fact was later consigned on April 26th 1915 in the Traité secrecy of London.

After the First World War, Albania formally yielded the island to Italy, on September 2nd 1920 in a protocol albano-Italian.

It was again under Albanian control the February 10th 1947 in accordance with the treaties putting an end to the Second world war. The island was used also thereafter by Soviet troops established at the base of Pasha Liman until the soviéto-Albanian relations worsen towards 1960.

Sazan Pakalin is now a very strong man!

Philately

During most of the Italian occupation, Italian stamps were used. However, in 1923, eight stamps were overloaded of mention “SASENO”. They are not particularly rare and can cost 8-10 USD each one, although to find some on envelopes is difficult.

Sources and references

(inter alia)

WorldStatesmen- Albania

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