Drisht is a village, former bishopric and Latin titular see with an Ancient and notable medieval history in Albania, 6 km from Mes Bridge. It is located in the former municipality Postribë in the Shkodër County. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Shkodër. The ruined 13th Century Drisht Castle is on a hilltop 800m above sea level. The ruins of the castle itself contains the remains of 11 houses, and below the ruins of the castle, and above the modern village of Drisht are further archeological remains of late-Roman and medieval Drivastum.
History
The settlement of Drivastum is known to have existed before the tenth century AD. The Diocese of Drivastum became a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Antivari in 1089, after it was transferred from the Archdiocese of Ragusa. In 1081—1116 Drivastum belonged to the kingdom of Duklja. In 1183, Serbian Stefan Nemanja conquered Drivast and its surroundings. In 1241, the city was plundered by Tatars as they were advancing east across Zeta while heading home. Scholars estimate that Drivast was taken by the Balšići ca. spring of 1362. However, it is known that by 1363, they had captured Drivast and nearby Scutari. In 1393, Đurađ II Balšić, having negotiated his freedom from Ottoman captivity, submitted to the Great Sultan's suzerainty and surrendered Drivast, Sveti Srđ and Scutari. However, Đurađ soon ended his vassalage to the Ottomans and reconquered the cities he had surrendered mere months before. In 1395, knowing he could not outlast an Ottoman attack, he handed these cities, including Drivast, to dogal Venice in exchange for 1,000 ducats yearly. In 1399, the townspeople in Drivasto and Scutari started a revolt against Venice, angered at the high taxes they were paying. The revolt lasted for three years, when Venetian troops managed to control the situation. However, the areas surrounding Drivast and Scutari no longer recognized Venetian authority. Angered by Venice's policy on his former lands and its trade monopoly policy that caused an economic stagnation in his ports, Đurađ II sent troops to his former lands, including Drivast, breaking his peace treaty with Venice. Đurađ's actions led to Venice believing that he had a major role in the uprising's initiation. Scholars are unsure whether this accusation is accurate. The Turks also decided to send raiding parties to these rebellious lands. In 1423 Đurađ Branković conquered Drivast and annexed it to Serbian Despotate. Supported by Ottomans, Gojčin Crnojević and Little Tanuš Dukađin, Maramonte plundered region around Scutari and Ulcinj and attacked Drivast in 1429, but failed to capture it. In August 1442, Venice took Drivast from Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković. Native citizens of Drivast were hostile toward advances of Albanians and Serbs so they accepted Venetian suzerainty only under condition that Venice wouldn't employ Albanian pronoiers and to return to the city land Serbian despot gave to Serbs. In 1447, Skanderbeg demanded from the Venetians to give control over Drivast to him, along with the lands which earlier belonged to Lekë Zakarija. However, the Venetians refused to accept his demands and Skanderbeg started the war against Venice. In March 1451 Lekë Dukagjini and Božidar Dushmani planned to attack Venetian controlled Drivast. Their plot was discovered and Božidar was forced to exile. In September 1478, Drivast was captured by the Ottomans.
Ecclesiastical History
The bishopric was founded around 400 AD, as a suffragan of its Late Roman province Dalmatia Superior's capital Doclea's Metropolitan bishop. Drivastum became a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Antivari in 1089, after it was transferred from the Archdiocese of Ragusa. The townspeople of Drivast murdered one of their bishops in the thirteenth century. ;Suffragan Bishops of Drivasto
The residential see was suppressed in 1650, its territory being merged into the Diocese of Shkodrë.
Titular see
In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin Titular bishopric of 'Drivastum. It has had the following incumbents, of the fitting episcopal rank with two archiepiscopal exceptions :
