Fortesa (Bellacërkva) lies about 6-7 km southwest of Rahovec. It is a compact settlement. Its elevation is about 320 metres above sea level. At the Pazhik locality, archaeologists identified a complex with an early Byzantine church and a funerary structure, while wall foundations and late Roman pottery were found at Brinjë. Other building remains and a brick-paved passage point to long-term use of the area.
Written records trace the settlement at least to 1327, with further references in 1330, 1465. Historical forms of the name recorded in documents include Belaçerkova, Belaçerkova me. A register from 1530 records 26 households. Around 1879, the settlement had 39 households. During the interwar period, 19 Slavic colonist or optant families were settled here.
During the 1998–1999 war, the settlement suffered burning and destruction by Serbian forces.
Source
Source and further reading
Principal source: Prof. Dr. Jusuf Osmani, Settlements of Kosovo 2 — Rahovec, second edition, Prishtina, 2008.
Source entry: FORTESA (Bellacërkva)
This page presents a selected summary from the published study of the settlement. For complete archival references, family histories, microtoponymy and the full treatment, consult the original volume.