The Arbėreshė

                                             Albanians of Italy

                                                                                  

The “ Arbreshė " communities,  in Italy,  are mostly allocated in Calabria, Sicily, Basilicata, Apulia, Campania, Molise and Abbruzzo. The first great emigration from the land of the eagles took place between the 1416 and the 1442, when some Albanian troops came in aid to Alfonso of Aragon, ally of Skanderbeg, against Roberto d' Angiņ.  These valorous soldiers were recompensed with small plots , so they decided to settle definitively with their families in the Italian peninsula.  The second emigration goes back to the death of Skanderbeg, (the period from the 1466 to the 1468), when a large number of Albanians (in some scholar’s opinion,  they were the most faithful soldiers of the leader of Kruja) fleed from the Turkish persecution and settled in the south of Italy. The hasty emigration first of the Christian populations of the city of Koronė ,and then (approximately in the 1533) of the city of Maida (1646), represents other examples of massive movements towards Southern Italy.  Many years after, numerous inhabitants of Shkodrė landed on the Italian shoreline in the suite of the Venetians, while many Albanians of the south of Vlora settled in the Reign of Naples of Carl III. Actually, little transmigrations continued also in the following centuries, as if Italy had always been predestined to represent the dream of the Albanians.

            

"Vallje", typical Albanian dance

 

The Albanians of Italy have not only tried to keep alive their own language, their traditions, their original culture, but through the popular customs, the dances, the religious rituals have also exalted that relationship of belonging with their ancient motherland.  Such tie with the Albanians, that they consider " Gjaku ynė i shprishur " (literally " our scattered blood "), has always been indissoluble, moreover the Arbėreshė have culturally contributed (deeply) to the independence of Albania.  Furthermore, we should not forget that some of them have been eminent elements of the political panorama of “Risorgimental” Italy, (as Francesco Crispi, who described himself as an " Albanian in his blood and his heart ",) and that they have often bravely fought for the national unity of Italy.  The poetry and the novelistic production of the Albanianss of Italy , are in prevalence of popular nature, and they often celebrate some historical episodes or emphasize the love for their abandoned native land.  The works of the Arbėreshė (and of all the other ethnic minorities) represent a cultural patrimony that we should carefully safeguard because they are the testimony of the vitality of the Albanian people, a people that is still little known.

 

     

   Albanian poular dresses  

 

Albanian Communities  in Italy

The "Arbėreshė" communities are present in 41 communes and 9 hamlets,  in the centre and the south of Italy :

       
          
  ABRUZZO :

 

  Villa Badessa (Pescara) Badhesa (near  Rosciano)

 

 
   BASILICATA:

 

   Barile (Potenza) Barilli
   Ginestra (Potenza) Xhinestra
   Maschito (Potenza) Mashqiti
   San Costantino Albanese (Potenza) Shėn Kostandini
   San Paolo Albanese (Potenza) Shėn Pali
 
 
    CALABRIA:  

 

   Acquaformosa (Cosenza) Firmoza
   Andali (Catanzaro) Andalli
   Caraffa di Catanzaro (Catanzaro) Garafa
   Carfizzi (Crotone) Karfici
   Cantinella (Cosenza) Kantinela (near Corigliano Calabro)
   Civita (Cosenza) Ēifti
   Castroregio (Cosenza) Kastėrnexhi
   Cavalerizzo (Cosenza) Kajverici (near Cerzeto)
   Cerzeto (Cosenza) Qana
   Eianina (Cosenza) Ejanina (near Frascineto)
   Falconara Albanese (Cosenza) Fallkunara
   Farneta (Cosenza) Farneta (near Castroregio)
   Firmo (Cosenza) Ferma
   Frascineto (Cosenza) Frasnita
   Lungro (Cosenza) Ungra
   Macchia Albanese (Cosenza) Maqi (near San Demetrio Corone)
   Marcedusa (Catanzaro) Marēeduza
   Marri (Cosenza) Marri (near  San Benedetto Ullano)
   Pallagorio (Crotone) Puhėriu
   Plataci (Cosenza) Pllatani
   San Basile (Cosenza) Shėn Vasili
   San Benedetto Ullano (Cosenza) Shėn Benedhiti
   Santa Caterina Albanese (Cosenza) Picilia
   San Cosmo Albanese (Cosenza) Strihari
   San Demetrio Corone (Cosenza) Shėn Mitri Korone
   San Giorgio Albanese (Cosenza) Mbuzati
   San Giacomo (Cosenza) Shėn Japku (Near Cerzeto)
   San Martino di Finita (Cosenza) Shėn Murtiri
   San Nicola dell'Alto (Crotone) Shėn Kolli
   Santa Sofia d'Epiro (Cosenza) Shėn Sofia
   Spezzano Albanese (Cosenza) Spixana
   Vaccarizzo Albanese (Cosenza) Vakarici
   Vena (Catanzaro) Vina (near Maida)
           
         
    CAMPANIA :

 

   Greci (Avellino) Greēi

 

 

    MOLISE:

 

    Campomarino (Campobasso) Kėmarini
    Montecilfone (Campobasso) Munxhfuni
    Portocannone (Campobasso) Portkanuni
    Ururi (Campobasso) Ruri

 

 

    PUGLIA:

 

    Casalvecchio (Foggia) Kazallveqi
    Chieuti (Foggia) Qefti
    San Marzano di San Giuseppe (Taranto) Shėn Marcani
          

 

 

    SICILIA:

 

    Contessa Entellina (Palermo) Kundisa
    Piana degli Albanesi (Palermo) Hora e Arbėreshėvet
    Santa Cristina Gela (Palermo) Shėndha Stina

If you need further informations visit the site :  www.arbitalia.net