Albania: Valentina Pistoli

Born in 1928 in Korçë, Albania, Valentina Pistoli was the first professional woman architect in Albania. She held a diploma in architecture from Sofia University in Sofia, Bulgaria (1952). Pistoli primarily designed residential complexes and hotels, including the Tirana International Hotel in Tiranë, Albania. She was also a lecturer (part-time) in architecture in the faculty of engineering in the Polytechnic University of Tirana in Tiranë. Pistoli is one of the 122 featured designers in the publication, Të Projektosh për të Jetuar — projektueset 1945–1990 (To Design for Living — Women Designers 1945-1990, 2017), one of the first books dedicated to the recognition and celebration of Albanian women designers. She posthumously earned the Albanian Architecture Award issued by the Albanian Union of Architects and Urban Planners (2018). Valentina Pistoli died in 1993.