Arbëreshë
Encyclopedia
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
minority community living in southern Italy, especially the regions of Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
, Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. They settled in Southern Italy in the 15th to 18th centuries AD in several waves of migrations, following the death of the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
and the gradual conquest of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and throughout the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
by the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
. The Arbëreshë have their own distinct culture and have been able to preserve the original Albanian identity over the centuries. Over the centuries the Arbëreshë have managed to maintain and develop their identities, thanks to their stubbornness and cultural value exercised mainly by the two religious communities of the Eastern Rite Byzantine Catholics, based in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, the "Collegio Corsini" (1732) and then "Corsini-Sant'Adriano" in 1794 and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in the "Seminario Greco-Albanese of Palermo" (1735) then transferred to Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi is a comune with 6,427 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo, Sicily.The town is the most important and populous Arbëreshë community in Sicily and it is the episcopal see of the Byzantine Catholic Church...
in 1945. Today, most of the fifty Arbëreshë communities still preserve the Byzantine Catholics belonging to the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church of Eastern Rite.
The Arbëresh language is of particular interest to students of the modern Albanian language as it represents the sounds, grammar, and vocabulary of pre-Ottoman Albania. However, the Arbëreshë language has been influenced more by Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
than any other Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
dialect.
To define their "nation" sparse use the term Arbëria.
Etymology
Prior to the OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
invasion of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, the native people in the area of Albania were all called Arbëreshë. After some were forced out of their homeland to Italy, these Italian-born Albanians continued to use the term Arbëresh whilst those in Albania called themselves Shqiptarë (compare the Albanian word Shqip, present in the local name for the country and the language).
The term "Arbëreshë" is also used for themselves by the Arvanites
Arvanites
Arvanites are a population group in Greece who traditionally speak Arvanitika, a dialect of the Albanian language. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages and were the dominant population element of some regions of the Peloponnese and Attica until the 19th century...
, an ethnic Albanian community long resident in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Villages in Italy
The Arbëresh villages have two or three names, an Italian one as well as one or two native ArbëreshArbëresh language
Arbëreshë, also known as Arbërisht, is an ethnolect spoken by the Arbëreshë, the group of Albanian-speaking minorities in Italy.-Classification:...
names by which villagers know the place. The Arbëreshë communities are divided into numerous ethnic islands corresponding to different areas of southern Italy. However, some places have already lost their original characteristics, as well as the language, while others have totally disappeared. Today in Italy there are 50 communities of Albanian origin and culture, 41 municipalities and 9 villages, spread across seven regions of southern Italy, forming a population of over 260,000. Some cultural islands survive in the metropolitan areas of Milan, Chieri, Turin, Rome, Naples, Bari, Cosenza, Crotone and Palermo. In the rest of the world, following the migrations of the twentieth century to countries such as Canada, Argentina, Brazil and the United States, there are strong communities that keep Arbëreshë traditions alive. Since 1990, with the fall of the communist regime in Albania, the Albanian communities in significant population centers are also considered Arbëreshë communities.
The full list of the Albanian Community in Italy is still the following:
- AbruzzoAbruzzoAbruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
- Province of PescaraProvince of PescaraThe Province of Pescara is a province in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pescara.It has an area of 1,225 km², and a total population of 295,463 . There are 46 comunes in the province. At May 31, 2005, the main communes by population are:For a complete list, see Comunes of...
- Villa Badessa (frazioneFrazioneA frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of RoscianoRoscianoRosciano is a comune and town in the Province of Pescara in the Abruzzo region of Italy...
): Badhesa
- Villa Badessa (frazione
- Province of Pescara
- MoliseMoliseMolise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
- Province of CampobassoProvince of CampobassoThe Province of Campobasso is a province in the Molise region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Campobasso.It has an area of 2,909 km², and a total population of 230,692...
- CampomarinoCampomarinoCampomarino is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 50 km northeast of Campobasso, and about 5 km southeast of Termoli. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,658....
: Këmarini - MontecilfoneMontecilfoneMontecilfone is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region of Molise, located about 40 km northeast of Campobasso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,552 and an area of 22.8 km²....
: Munxhufuni - PortocannonePortocannonePortocannone is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 50 km northeast of Campobasso....
: Portkanuni - UruriUruriUruri is a comune in the Province of Campobasso in the Italian region Molise, located about 40 km northeast of Campobasso.Ururi borders the following municipalities: Larino, Montorio nei Frentani, Rotello, San Martino in Pensilis....
: Rùri
- Campomarino
- Province of Campobasso
- CampaniaCampaniaCampania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
- Province of AvellinoProvince of AvellinoThe Province of Avellino is a province in the Campania region of Italy. The area is typified by many small towns and villages scattered across the province; in fact only two towns have a population over 20,000; its capital city Avellino and Ariano Irpino....
- Greci: Katundi Greçi
- Province of Avellino
- Puglia
- Province of FoggiaProvince of FoggiaThe Province of Foggia is a province in the Apulia region of Italy.This province is also known as Capitanata, originally Catapanata, because during the Middle Ages it was governed by a catapan, as part of the Catapanate of Italy...
- Casalvecchio di PugliaCasalvecchio di PugliaCasalvecchio is a small Italian comune in the southeastern region of Italy. It is located in the province of Foggia in the Puglia region. The current mayor, Michele Boccamazzo, runs a community of 2,167 people. Mostly from a 15th century Albanian migration, the residents have subsisted on...
: Kazallveqi - ChieutiChieutiChieuti is a town and comune in the province of Foggia in the Apulia region of southeast Italy.Chieuti placed in Italy's Apulia region, located in the province of Foggia....
: Qefti
- Casalvecchio di Puglia
- Provincia di Taranto
- San Marzano di San GiuseppeSan Marzano di San GiuseppeSan Marzano di San Giuseppe is a town and comune in the province of Taranto, part of the Apulia region of southeast Italy. It is one of the Arbëreshë communities in southern Italy.Economy is based on the cultivation of olive trees and vine....
: Shën Marcani
- San Marzano di San Giuseppe
- Province of Foggia
- BasilicataBasilicataBasilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
- Province of PotenzaProvince of PotenzaThe Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
- BarileBarileBarile is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni , of Ginestra, Rapolla, Rionero in Vulture, Ripacandida, Venosa. The town is an ancient Arbëreshë settlement and the population still maintains strong links with that...
: Barilli - GinestraGinestraGinestra / Zhura is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni , of Barile, Forenza, Maschito, Ripacandida, Venosa....
: Zhura - MaschitoMaschitoMaschito is a town and comune of the province of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Like other towns in the Vulture area, Maschito was repopulated by Albanian refugees after the occupation of Albania by the Ottoman Empire.-Geography:Located Northeast of Basilicata, it is a small...
: Mashqiti - San Costantino AlbaneseSan Costantino AlbaneseSan Costantino Albanese is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata....
: Shën Kostandini Arbëreshë - San Paolo AlbaneseSan Paolo AlbaneseSan Paolo Albanese is a village and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy.-Geography:The village is bordered by Alessandria del Carretto , Cersosimo, Noepoli, San Costantino Albanese and Terranova di Pollino....
: Shën Pali Arbëreshë
- Barile
- Province of Potenza
- CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
- Province of CatanzaroProvince of CatanzaroThe Province of Catanzaro is a province of the Calabria region, in Italy. The city of Catanzaro is capital both of the province and of the region.- Demographics :The following is a list of the province of Catanzaro comunes with population over 5,000:...
- AndaliAndaliAndali is a comune and town is the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy. As of 2007 Andali had an estimated population of 864....
: Andalli - Caraffa di CatanzaroCaraffa di CatanzaroCaraffa di Catanzaro is a town and comune in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Notes and references:...
: Garafa - MarcedusaMarcedusaMarcedusa is a comune and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy....
: Marçëdhuza - Vena di Maida (frazione of MaidaMaida-Places:*Maida, Calabria, a comune in the province of Catanzaro, Italy**Battle of Maida, a Napoleonic battle in Calabria during the War of the Third Coalition*Maida, North Dakota, an unincorporated community in the United States-People:...
): Vina
- Andali
- Province of CosenzaProvince of CosenzaThe Province of Cosenza is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Cosenza.It has an area of 6,650 km², and a total population of 733,797 . It is the biggest Calabrian Province...
- AcquaformosaAcquaformosaAcquaformosa is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of Italy. Since the Middle Ages it is home to an Arbëresh minority, which is reflected in the presence of Skanderbeg's heraldic eagle in the comune's coat of arms....
: Firmoza - Cantinella (frazione of Corigliano CalabroCorigliano CalabroCorigliano Calabro is a comune and town located in the province of Cosenza, in Calabria, southern Italy. In the comune are the ruins of the ancient city of Thurii.-External links:* * *...
): Kantinela - CerzetoCerzetoCerzeto is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-References:...
(in the commune of Cerzeto): Qana - CastroregioCastroregioCastroregio is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
: Kastërnexhi - Cavallerizzo (frazione of CerzetoCerzetoCerzeto is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-References:...
): Kajverici - CivitaCivitaCivita is a Norwegian liberal think tank which gains support from, among others, the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise. In the beginning, it was led by Terje Svabø, but prominent Conservative Party politician Kristin Clemet took over on November 16, 2006 after having central roles in many...
: Çifti - Eianina (frazione of FrascinetoFrascinetoFrascinetto is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.It is home to an Arbëresh minority.- External links :* * on http://www.telecosenza.it...
): Purçìll - Falconara AlbaneseFalconara AlbaneseFalconara Albanese is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.It is home to an Arbëresh minority....
: Fullkunara - FarnetaFarnetaFarneta is a town and frazione of the comune of Montefiorino, Italy, located in the Apennines of the province of Modena.Located between the two hamlets of Gusciola and Romanoro Farneta is a town and frazione of the comune of Montefiorino, Italy, located in the Apennines of the province of...
(frazione of CastroregioCastroregioCastroregio is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
): Farneta - FirmoFirmoFirmo is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
: Ferma - FrascinetoFrascinetoFrascinetto is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.It is home to an Arbëresh minority.- External links :* * on http://www.telecosenza.it...
: Frasnita - LungroLungroLungro is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Since the Middle Ages it is home to an Arbëresh minority....
: Ungra - Macchia Albanese (frazione of San Demetrio CoroneSan Demetrio CoroneSan Demetrio Corone is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is notable for the Collegio of Sant'Adriano, a boarding school which produced many patriots and theorists/revolutionaries in the Italian Independence wars-Geography:The village is...
): Maqi - Marri (frazione of San Benedetto UllanoSan Benedetto UllanoSan Benedetto Ullano is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
): Allimarri - PlataciPlataciPlataci is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
: Pllatëni - San BasileSan BasileSan Basile is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Overview:Language/s: Italian and Albanian....
: Shën Vasili - San Benedetto UllanoSan Benedetto UllanoSan Benedetto Ullano is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy....
: Shën Benedhiti - Santa Caterina AlbaneseSanta Caterina AlbaneseSanta Caterina Albanese is a village and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-Geography:The town is bordered by Fagnano Castello, Malvito, Roggiano Gravina and San Marco Argentano.- Notable people :...
: Picilia - San Cosmo AlbaneseSan Cosmo AlbaneseSan Cosmo Albanese is a village and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.There is a majority ethnic Arbëresh in the village. The founders of the settlement were christian Albanians who migrated to Italy after Albania's resistance against the Ottoman empire...
Strihàri - San Demetrio CoroneSan Demetrio CoroneSan Demetrio Corone is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is notable for the Collegio of Sant'Adriano, a boarding school which produced many patriots and theorists/revolutionaries in the Italian Independence wars-Geography:The village is...
: Shën Mitri - San Giorgio AlbaneseSan Giorgio AlbaneseSan Giorgio Albanese is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.- Language :...
: Mbuzati - San Giacomo di Cerzeto (frazione of CerzetoCerzetoCerzeto is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.-References:...
): Shën Japku - San Martino di FinitaSan Martino di FinitaSan Martino di Finita is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.It is an Arbëreshë center founded in the late 15th-early 16th centuries by Albanian refugees....
: Shën Mërtiri - Santa Sofia d'EpiroSanta Sofia d'EpiroSanta Sofia d'Epiro is an Arberesh town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.The town is bordered by Acri, Bisignano, San Demetrio Corone and Tarsia.-People:*Ferruccio Baffa Trasci Bishop...
: Shën Sofia - Spezzano AlbaneseSpezzano AlbaneseSpezzano Albanese is an Italian comune in the Province of Cosenza, Calabria. It has 7,036 inhabitants as of 2001.As the name implies, Spezzano Albanese is an Arbëreshë community, and is called Spixan in the dialect of Albanian spoken by many of its inhabitants.-External links:...
: Spixana - Vaccarizzo AlbaneseVaccarizzo AlbaneseVaccarizzo Albanese is a village and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy.The town is bordered by Acri, San Cosmo Albanese and San Giorgio Albanese.- Language :...
: Vakarici
- Acquaformosa
- Province of CrotoneProvince of CrotoneThe Province of Crotone is a province in the Calabria region of Italy. It was created in 1996 out of part of the Province of Catanzaro. The capital is the city of Crotone.It has an area of 1,717 km², and a total population of 172,970...
- CarfizziCarfizziCarfizzi is a comune in the province of Crotone, in Calabria, Italy....
: Karfici - PallagorioPallagorioPallagorio is a comune and town with a population of 1627 people in the province of Crotone, in Calabria, Italy.-Economy:Pallagorio relies on the production of oil, wine, cereals, citruses, and the intense breeding of cattle....
: Puhëriu - San Nicola dell'AltoSan Nicola dell'AltoSan Nicola dell'Alto is a village and comune in the province of Crotone, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is an Arbëreshë village founded by Albanian immigrants to Italy and has the name "Shin Koll" in the Arbëreshë language....
Shën Kolli
- Carfizzi
- Province of Catanzaro
- Sicilia
- Province of PalermoProvince of PalermoThe Province of Palermo is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. The Province of Palermo has 82 comuni , 1,239,272 inhabitants, and is 4,992 km² .-External links:...
- Contessa EntellinaContessa EntellinaContessa Entellina is a small comune of 1,981 inhabitants in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy...
: Kundisa - Piana degli AlbanesiPiana degli AlbanesiPiana degli Albanesi is a comune with 6,427 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo, Sicily.The town is the most important and populous Arbëreshë community in Sicily and it is the episcopal see of the Byzantine Catholic Church...
: Hora e Arbëreshëvet - Santa Cristina GelaSanta Cristina GelaSanta Cristina Gela is an Arbëreshë village in the province of Palermo in Sicily.The country, along with Contessa Entellina and Piana degli Albanesi, is one of three ethnic Albanian community in Sicily, where the old Albanian language is still spoken...
: Sëndahstina
- Contessa Entellina
- Province of Palermo
Early migrations
The Arbëreshë, between the 11th and 14th centuries, moved in small groups towards the north and south of Greece (ThessalyThessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
, Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, Peloponnesus, Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
) where they founded colonies. Their military skill made them favourite mercenaries of the Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
, Catalans, Italians and Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
.
The invasion of the Balkans by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century forced many Arbëreshë to emigrate from Albania and Greece to the south of Italy
South Italy
South Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. South Italy encompasses six of the country's 20 regions:*Abruzzo...
. There were several waves of migrations. Indeed, in 1448, the King of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso V of Aragon
Alfonso the Magnanimous KG was the King of Aragon , Valencia , Majorca, Sardinia and Corsica , and Sicily and Count of Barcelona from 1416 and King of Naples from 1442 until his death...
appealed to Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
in suppressing a revolt at Naples. Skanderbeg sent a force under the leadership of Demetrio Reres, and his two sons. Following a request of Albanian soldiers King Alfonso granting land to them and they were settled in twelve villages in the mountainous area called Catanzaro in 1448. A year later the sons of Demetrio, George and Basil along with other Albanians were settled in four villages in the region of Sicily.
In 1459 the son of Alfonso, king Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
again requested the help of Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
. This time, the legendary leader himself came to Italy with his troops, to end a French-supported insurrection. Skanderbeg was appointed as the leader of the combined Neapolitan-Albanian army and, after victories in two decisive battles, the Albanian soldiers effectively saved Naples. This time they were rewarded with land east of Taranto in Apulia, populating 15 other villages.
After the death of Skanderbeg in 1468 the organized Albanian resistance against the Ottomans came to an end. Like much of the Mediterranean, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
became subject to the invading Turks. Many of its people fled to the neighboring countries. From the time of Skanderberg's death until 1480 there were constant migrations of Albanians to the Italian coast. Throughout the 16th century, these migrations continued and other Albanian villages were formed on Italian soil. The new immigrants often took up work as mercenaries hired by the Italian armies.
Another wave of emigration, between 1500 and 1534, relates to Arbëreshë from central Greece. Employed as mercenaries by Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, they had to evacuate the colonies of the Peloponnese with the assistance of the troops of Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, as the Turks had invaded that region. Charles V established these troops in Italy of the South to reinforce defense against the threat of Turkish invasion. Established in insular villages (which enabled them to maintain their culture until the 20th century), Arbëreshë were, traditionally, soldiers for the Kingdom of Naples and the Republic of Venice, from the Wars of Religion to the Napoleonic invasion.
Later migrations
The wave of migration from southern Italy to the AmericasAmericas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
in 1900-1910 depopulated approximately half of the Arbëreshë villages, and subjected the population to the risk of cultural disappearance, despite the beginning of a cultural and artistic revival in the 19th century.
Since the end of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
in Albania, there has been a wave of immigration into Arbëreshë villages by Kosovar and Shqiptar
Shqiptar
Shqiptar is an Albanian language ethnonym , by which Albanians call themselves.- Origin theories :The origin of the ethnic name Shqiptar:...
ë Albanians. Many differences are apparent between the new immigrants and the old diaspora in these villages, but there is still a sense of familiarity between themDubious: Discuss, who refer to each other as Jemi të gjithë një popull, Gjaku jinë i shprishur ("We are all one people, our blood spread").
Language
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, and is spoken in Southern Italy in the regions of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, Molise
Molise
Molise is a region of Southern Italy, the second smallest of the regions. It was formerly part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise and now a separate entity...
, Puglia, Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
, Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, Abruzzi, and Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. All dialects are closely related to each other but are not entirely mutually intelligible.
The Arbëresh language retains many archaisms of medieval Albanian from the pre-Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
invasion of Albania in the 15th century. It also retains some Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
elements, including vocabulary and pronunciation. It has also preserved some conservative features that were lost in mainstream Albanian Tosk. For example, it has preserved certain syllable-initial consonant clusters which have been simplified in Standard Albanian (cf. Arbërisht gluhë /ˈɡluxə/ ('language/tongue'), vs. Standard Albanian gjuhë /ˈɟuhə/). It sounds more archaic than Standard Albanian, but is close enough that it is written using the same Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
alphabet as Standard Albanian. A Shqiptar
Shqiptar
Shqiptar is an Albanian language ethnonym , by which Albanians call themselves.- Origin theories :The origin of the ethnic name Shqiptar:...
(Albanian) listening to or reading Arbërisht is similar to a modern English speaker listening to or reading Shakespearean English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. The Arbëresh language is of particular interest to students of the modern Albanian language as it represents the sounds, grammar, and vocabulary of pre-Ottoman Albania.
Arbërisht was commonly called 'Albanese' (Albanian in the Italian language) in Italy until the 1990s. Until recently, Arbërisht speakers had only very imprecise notions about how related or unrelated their language was to Albanian. Until the 1980s Arbërisht was exclusively a spoken language, except for its written form used in the Italo-Albanian Church, and Arbëreshë people had no practical affiliation with the Standard Albanian language used in Albania, as they did not use this form in writing or in media. When a large number of immigrants from Albania began to enter Italy in the 1990s and came into contact with local Arbëreshë communities, the differences and similarities were for the first time made known. There are mixed feelings towards the "new Albanians".
Since the 1980s, some efforts have been organized to preserve the cultural and linguistic heritage of the language. Arbërisht has been under a slow decline in recent decades, but is currently experiencing a revival in many villages in Italy. Figures such as Zef Skirò Di Maxho
Zef Skirò Di Maxho
Giuseppe Schirò Di Maggio , born in 1944, is a Arbëreshë poet and dramatist of Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily.He studied at the Università di Palermo...
have done much work on school books and other language learning tools in the language, producing two books 'Udha e Mbarë' and 'Udhëtimi', both used in schools in the village of Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi is a comune with 6,427 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo, Sicily.The town is the most important and populous Arbëreshë community in Sicily and it is the episcopal see of the Byzantine Catholic Church...
.
There is no official political, administrative or cultural structure which represents the Arbëresh community. Arbërësh is not one of the group of minority languages that enjoy the special protection of the State under Article 6 of the Italian Constitution. At the regional level, however, Albanian is accorded some degree of official recognition in the autonomy statutes of Calabria, Basilicata, and Molise. In the case of Calabria, the region is to provide for recognition of the historical culture and artistic heritage of the populations of Albanian origin and to promote the teaching of the two languages in the places where they are spoken. Article 5 of the autonomy statute of Basilicata lays down that the regional authorities "shall promote renewed appreciation of the originality of the linguistic and cultural heritage of the local communities". Finally, the autonomy statute of the Molise region stipulates that the region "shall be the guardian of the linguistic and historical heritage and of the popular traditions of the ethnic communities existing in its territory and, by agreement with the interested municipalities, shall promote renewed appreciation of them". In certain communes the local authorities support cultural and linguistic activities promoted by the ethnic Albanian communities and have agreed to the erection of bilingual road signs. There are associations that try to protect the culture, particularly in the Province of Cosenza. The Arbëresh language is used in some private radios and publications. The fundamental laws of the areas of Molise, Basilicata and Calabria make reference to the Arbëresh language and culture, but the Arbëresh people still feel that their culture is threatened. Nevertheless, the increase in training in the use of the written language has given some hope for the continuity of this culture. It is important to note that the Arbëresh dialect is not a regional "dialect" of Italian, it is a "dialect" of Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
(Shqip) with Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
influences."
Early Arbëresh literature
The first work of Italo-Albanian literature was that of Sicilian archpriest Lekë MatrëngaLekë Matrënga
Luca Matranga was an Arbëresh writer and priest from Sicily. He is regarded as one of the authors of the era of early Albanian literature.-Works:...
(1567–1619). The book was titled "E mbsuama e krështerë" (Christian Doctrine) and it was a simple religious translation in Arbëresh language, aiming at bringing Christianity closer to his people is Southern Italy. While during the 17th century there were no Arbëresh writers, in 18th century there was Giulio Variboba
Giulio Variboba
Giulio Variboba , was an Arbëresh poet that gave an important contribution to the literature in the Albanian language.-Life:...
(1724–1788) known in Albanian as Jul Variboba, is regarded by many Albanians as the first genuine poet in all of Albanian literature. Born in San Giorgio Albanese (Mbuzati) and educated in Corsini Seminary in San Benedetto Ullano, after many polemics with local priest he went to exile in Rome in 1861 and there he published in 1862 his long lyric poem "Ghiella e Shën Mëriis Virghiër" (The life of Virgin Mary). The poem has been written entirely in dialect of San Giorgio and has about 4717 lines. Variboba is considered unique in Albanian literature for his poetic sensitivities and the variety of rhythmic expression. Another known artistic figure of that time was Nicola Chetta (1740–1803) known in Albanian as Nikollë Keta. As a poet he wrote verses both in Albanian and Greek language and he has also composed the first Albanian sonnet in 1877. Being a poet, lexicographer, linguist, historian, theologian and rector of Greek seminary, his variety and universality of work distinguish him from other writers of the period.
The most prominent figure among Arbëresh writers and the foremost figure of the Albanian nationalist movement in nineteenth century Italy was that of Girolamo de Rada
Girolamo de Rada
Girolamo de Rada was an Italian writer of Italo-Albanian literature. Of Arbëreshë descent he was the foremost figure of the Albanian National Awakening in 19th Italy.-Biography:...
known in Albanian as Jeronim De Rada. Born the son of a parish priest of Italo-Greek Catholic Church
Italo-Greek Catholic Church
The Italo-Greek Catholic Church is one of the 22 Eastern Catholic Churches which, together with the Latin Church, comprise the Catholic Church...
in Macchia Albanese
San Demetrio Corone
San Demetrio Corone is a town and comune in the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It is notable for the Collegio of Sant'Adriano, a boarding school which produced many patriots and theorists/revolutionaries in the Italian Independence wars-Geography:The village is...
(Alb.
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
Maqi) in the mountains of Cosenza
Cosenza
Cosenza is a city in southern Italy, located at the confluence of two historic rivers: the Busento and the Crathis. The municipal population is of around 70,000; the urban area, however, counts over 260,000 inhabitants...
, De Rada attended the college of Saint Adrian in San Demetrio Corone. In October 1834, in accordance with his father's wishes, he registered at the Faculty of Law of the University of Naples, but the main focus of his interests remained folklore and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. It was in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in 1836 that De Rada published the first edition of his best known Albanian-language poem, the "Songs of Milosao", under the Italian title Poesie albanesi del secolo XV. Canti di Milosao, figlio del despota di Scutari (Albanian poetry from the 15th century. Songs of Milosao, son of the despot of Shkodra). His second work, Canti storici albanesi di Serafina Thopia, moglie del principe Nicola Ducagino, Naples 1839 (Albanian historical songs of Serafina Thopia, wife of prince Nicholas Dukagjini), was seized by the Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
authorities because of De Rada's alleged affiliation with conspiratorial groups during the Italian Risorgimento. The work was republished under the title Canti di Serafina Thopia, principessa di Zadrina nel secolo XV, Naples 1843 (Songs of Serafina Thopia, princess of Zadrina in the 15th century) and in later years in a third version as Specchio di umano transito, vita di Serafina Thopia, Principessa di Ducagino, Naples 1897 (Mirror of human transience, life of Serafina Thopia, princess of Dukagjin). His Italian-language historical tragedy I Numidi, Naples 1846 (The Numidians), elaborated half a century later as Sofonisba, dramma storico, Naples 1892 (Sofonisba, historical drama), enjoyed only modest public response. In the revolution
Revolution
A revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a relatively short period of time.Aristotle described two types of political revolution:...
ary year 1848, De Rada founded the newspaperL'Albanese d'Italia (The Albanian of Italy) which included articles in Albanian. This bilingual "political, moral and literary journal" with a final circulation of 3,200 copies was the first Albanian-language periodical anywhere.
De Rada was the harbinger and first audible voice of the Romantic movement in Albanian literature, a movement which, inspired by his unfailing energy on behalf of national awakening among Albanians in Italy and in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, was to evolve into the romantic nationalism characteristic of the Rilindja period in Albania. His journalistic, literary and political activities were instrumental not only in fostering an awareness for the Arbëresh minority in Italy but also in laying the foundations for an Albanian national literature.
The most popular of his literary works is the above-mentioned Canti di Milosao (Songs of Milosao), known in Albanian as Këngët e Milosaos, a long romantic ballad portraying the love of Milosao, a fictitious young nobleman in fifteenth-century Shkodra (Scutari), who has returned home from Thessalonica. Here, at the village fountain, he encounters and falls in love with Rina, the daughter of the shepherd Kollogre. The difference in social standing between the lovers long impedes their union until an earthquake destroys both the city and all semblance of class distinction. After their marriage abroad, a child is born. But the period of marital bliss does not last long. Milosao's son and wife soon die, and he himself, wounded in battle, perishes on a riverbank within sight of Shkodra.
Cuisine
During many centuries of cohabitation there was surely an exchange of knowledge between Arbëresh and Southern Italians in the art of cooking. A strong acculturation process happened especially after 1960 where streets were built and contacts with nearby Italians intensified. This process affected local cuisine and nowadays traditional Arbëresh diet does not differ greatly from the local Italian population. However many typical Arbëresh dishes are still in use among them. Some of them are mentioned below.- Strangujët - A form of GnocchiGnocchiGnocchi are various thick, soft dumplings. They may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, flour and egg, flour, egg, and cheese, potato, bread crumbs, or similar ingredients. The smaller forms are called gnocchetti....
called Strangujtë made with flour by hand, flavoured with tomato sauce (lënk) and basil. Traditionally this dish was consumed by families seated around a floor level table of wood (zbrilla) on the 14th September, the 'Festa e Kryqit Shejt' (Exaltation of the Cross). - Grurët - Boiled wheat dish flavored with olive oil, known as cuccìaCucciáCuccìa is a traditional Sicilian dish containing boiled wheat berries, which is eaten on Saint Lucy's feast day . The dish is consumed in Sicily and among Italian-Americans to commemorate the relief from a food shortage in Sicily; the appearance of wheat on the island is attributed to Saint Lucy...
in the Sicilian language. The tradition is to eat it on Festa e Sënda Lluçisë. Variations are the use of sweetened milk or ricottaRicottaRicotta is an Italian dairy product made from sheep milk whey left over from the production of cheese. Although typically referred to as ricotta cheese, ricotta is not properly a cheese because it is not produced by coagulation of casein...
with flakes of chocolate, orange peel and almonds. - Kanojët - CannoliCannoliCannoli are Sicilian pastry desserts. The singular is cannolo , meaning "little tube", with the etymology stemming from the Latin "canna", or reed. Cannoli originated in Sicily and are an essential part of Sicilian cuisine...
, the universally famous Pianotto sweet dish. Its culinary secret is waffle (shkorça) of flour, wine, lard and salt and filled with sweetened ricotta, and lastly sprinkled with sieved chocolate. - Bukë - Arbëresh bread (bukë) is prepared with local hard grain flour and manufactured to a round and mostly leavened shape with natural methods. It is cooked in antique firewood furnaces (TandoorTandoorA tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking. The tandoor is used for cooking in Azerbaijan, India, Turkey, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Central Asia, as well as Burma and Bangladesh.The heat for a tandoor was...
). It is eaten warm flavored with olive oil (vaj i ullirit) and dusted with cheese or with fresh ricotta. - Panaret - Arbëresh Easter bread shaped either into a circle or into two large braids and sprinkled with sesame seeds. It is adorned with red Easter eggs. The Easter eggs are dyed deep red to represent the blood of Christ, the eggs also represent new life and springtime. It is traditionally eaten during the Resurrection Meal. After 40 days of fasting, as per the Byzantine Catholic tradition, the Easter feast has to begin slowly, with a light meal after the midnight liturgy on Saturday night. The fast is generally broken with Panaret.
- Loshkat and Petullat - Sweetened spherical or crushed shaped fried leavened dough. Eaten on the eve of E Mart e MadhShrove TuesdayShrove Tuesday is a term used in English-speaking countries, especially in Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Germany, and parts of the United States for the day preceding Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season of fasting and prayer called Lent.The...
Carnival. - Të plotit - A sweet cake in various shaped with figFicusFicus is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes, and hemiepiphyte in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending into the semi-warm temperate zone. The Common Fig Ficus is a genus of...
marmalade filling, one of the oldest Arbëresh dishes. - Milanisë - Traditionally eaten on the Festa e Shën Zefit and Good Friday, is a pasta dish made with a sauce (lënk) of wild fennelFennelFennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
paste, sardines and pine nutPine nutPine nuts are the edible seeds of pines . About 20 species of pine produce seeds large enough to be worth harvesting; in other pines the seeds are also edible, but are too small to be of great value as a human food....
s. - Udhose and Gjizë - Homemade cheese and ricotta normally dried outdoors.
- Likëngë - Pork sausages flavored with salt, pepper and seed of Fennel (farë mbrai).
- Llapsana - Forest Brussel sprout (llapsana) fried with garlic and oil.
- Dorëzët - Very thin home-made semolina spaghetti, cooked in milk and eaten on Ascension Day.
- Groshët - Soup made of fava beans, chickpeas and haricot beans.
- Verdhët - During Easter a kind of pie is prepared with eggs, lamb, ricotta, sheep cheese and (previously boiled) leaf stalks of Scolymus hispanicusScolymus hispanicusScolymus hispanicus is a flowering plant in the genus Scolymus in the family Asteraceae, native to southern and western Europe, north to northwestern France....
; in some villages, the young aerial parts of wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare pipentum) are used instead.
While southern Italian cuisine has had a great influence on the Arbëresh diet, even samples of the inverse trend can be found. The dish called Verdhët whioch is very popularat in the neighboring Italian villages is one example of this trend.
Notable Arbëreshë
- Giorgio BastaGiorgio BastaGiorgio Basta, Count of Huszt was an Italian general of Arbëreshë descent, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to command Habsburg forces in the Long War of 1591-1606 and later to administer Transylvania as an Imperial vassal to restore Catholicism as a predominant religion in...
(1544–1607), aristocrat, general and military strategist in the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. - Luca Matranga (1560–1619), priest of Byzantine riteByzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
, one of the first writers in Albanian language. - Pope Clement XIPope Clement XIPope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death in 1721.-Early life:...
(1649–1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, Pope from 1700-1721. - Giorgio Guzzetta (1682–1756), priest of Byzantine rite, Apostle of the Albanians of Sicily and founder of the Albanian seminary.
- Nicola Chetta (1741–1803), priest of the Byzantine rite, ethnographic, writer and poet.
- Girolamo de RadaGirolamo de RadaGirolamo de Rada was an Italian writer of Italo-Albanian literature. Of Arbëreshë descent he was the foremost figure of the Albanian National Awakening in 19th Italy.-Biography:...
(1814–1903), poet, folklorist and Albanian nationalist, among the major intellectual scholar of the Albanian language and Arbëreshë folklore. - Francesco CrispiFrancesco CrispiFrancesco Crispi was a 19th-century Italian politician of Arbëreshë ancestry. He was instrumental in the unification of Italy and was its 17th and 20th Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896.-Sicily:Crispi’s paternal family came originally from the small agricultural...
(1819–1901), 19th century Italian politician of Albanian origin, Prime Minister between 1887–1891 and again between 1893-1896. - Anton SantoriAnton SantoriFrancesco Antonio Santori also known as Ndon Santori was an Italian writer, poet and playwright of Arbëreshë descent...
(1819–1894), writer, playwright and poet of the Albanian National Awakening. - Demetrio Camarda (1821–1882), priest of Byzantinerite, Albanian language scholar, historian and philologist.
- Nicola BarbatoNicola BarbatoNicola Barbato, , was a Arbëreshë socialist and politician. He was one of the national leaders of the Fasci Siciliani a popular movement of democratic and socialist inspiration in 1891-1894, and perhaps might have been the ablest among them, according to the Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm.-Early...
(1856–1923), doctor and politician among the founders of the movement of the Fasci Siciliani Workers. - Zef Serembe (1844–1901), lyric poet.
- Zef SkiroiZef SkiroiGiuseppe Schirò was an Arbëreshë neo-classical poet, linguist, publicist and folklorist from Sicily. His literary work marked the transition to modern Albanian literature in Italy.After completing the Arbëreshë Seminar of Palermo, he studied law...
(1865–1925), poet, historian, linguist, publicist, folklorist and Albanian patriot, the most representative of the Arbëreshë literature cultural tradition. - Paolo Schirò (1866–1941), Bishop of greek rite in Sicily, one of the most important and large Albanology.
- Antonio GramsciAntonio GramsciAntonio Gramsci was an Italian writer, politician, political philosopher, and linguist. He was a founding member and onetime leader of the Communist Party of Italy and was imprisoned by Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime...
(1891–1937), philosopher, writer, politician and political theorist. - Costantino Mortati (1891–1985), statesman and contributor to the Italian Constitution.
- Giuseppe T. Gangale (1898–1978), philosopher, philologist and poet.
- Enrico Cuccia (1907–2000), banker, founder of MediobancaMediobancaMediobanca is an Italian investment bank founded in 1946 at the initiative of Raffaele Mattioli and Enrico Cuccia to facilitate the post-World War II reconstruction of Italian industry.Enrico Cuccia led Mediobanca from 1946 to 1982...
and important figure in Italian post-war industrial reconstruction. - Ernesto SábatoErnesto SabatoErnesto Sabato , was an Argentine writer, painter and physicist. According to the BBC he "won some of the most prestigious prizes in Hispanic literature" and "became very influential in the literary world throughout Latin America"...
(1911-2011), Albanian-ArgentineArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
writer. - Tito SchipaTito SchipaTito Schipa was an Italian tenor. He is considered one of the finest tenori di grazia in operatic history...
(1888-1965), tenor. - Regis PhilbinRegis PhilbinRegis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
(1931), Albanian-American media personality and occasional actor and singer. - Stefano Rodotà (1933), politician.
- Ercole Lupinacci (1933), bishop of the Italo-Albanian Church of the Byzantine riteByzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
the Eparchy of Lungro. - Sotir Ferrara (1937), bishop of the Italo-Albanian Church of the Byzantine riteByzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi. - Joseph J. DioGuardiJoseph J. DioGuardiJoseph J. DioGuardi is a certified public accountant and a Republican politician. DioGuardi served in the House of Representatives representing the 20th Congressional district of New York from 1985 to 1989. He was also the Republican nominee for U.S...
(1940), Albanian-AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician. - Giuseppe Schirò Di Maggio (1944), poet, journalist, essayist, playwright and writer, among the most influential and prolific exponents of contemporary Arbëreshë literature.
- Josif Droboniku (1952), painter, an artist specializing in iconography.
- Carmine AbateCarmine AbateCarmine Abate is an Italian writer. He has written numerous short stories, novels and essays, mainly focusing on issues of migration and the encounters between disparate cultures....
(1954), novelist and short story writer.
Video
See also
- AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
- ArvanitesArvanitesArvanites are a population group in Greece who traditionally speak Arvanitika, a dialect of the Albanian language. They settled in Greece during the late Middle Ages and were the dominant population element of some regions of the Peloponnese and Attica until the 19th century...
- Stradioti
- Albanian literatureAlbanian literatureThe Albanian literature is the literature written by Albanians.-Renaissance:The expansion of the Ottoman Empire pushed many Albanians from their homeland during the period of the Western European Renaissance humanism...
- Byzantine RiteByzantine RiteThe Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
- talo-Albanian Byzantine Church
- George Kastrioti SkanderbegSkanderbegGeorge Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
External links
- Dhëndurët e Arbërit - Si zogu pa fole at the You Tube
- Dhëndurët e Arbërit - Si të pashë të parën herë at the You Tube
- Dhëndurët e Arbërit - Një ditë u ndodha at the You Tube