Arberesh people of Italy left Albania after the Ottomanoccupation of the 15th century, but they have inherited generation after generation, together with the old ethnic name, the language, customs and culture. The Arberesh settlements arelocated in three zones, one near Palermo, another in PalazzoAdriatica and the third in Calabria. A number of writers andoutstanding people from the Arberesh people of Italy have made agreat contribution to the cultivation of the Albanian languageand the information on the history of their country.

Leke Matrenga, 1560-1619. The oldest author, renowned Arberesh.He was born in Hore of Arberesh (Sicilia) and studied in areligious college in Rome. He has translated from Italian acatechism "Christian instructions." The work has a great importance especially for the documentation of an old stage ofthe dialects of the Arberesh of Sicilia. It is of interest alsofor the short verse published in it and which is the firstpublished trace of the Albanian verse.

Jeronim De Rada, 1814-1903. Poet, publicist, folklorist,philologist and teacher. One of the most renowned figures ofNational Renaissance. De Rada is the founder of the Arberesh literature and culture. He was born in Makia of Calabria. In1948, he issued the first Albanian newspaper L'Albania D'Italia. His most outstanding works are "Antiquity of Albanian Nation, "Rhapsody of an Arberesh poem," "Song of Milosao," etc., and hedevoted importance to the question of the origin of the Albanians and the Albanian language.

Bilota Bernard, 1843-1918. Poet, folklorist, Arbresh from Frasnita of Cosenza. Known as initiator of two Arbereshlinguistic congresses held in Koriljano Calabro, 1895 and inLunger in 1897.

Dhimiter Kamarda, 1821-1882. Linguist, patriot, arberesh. Publisher of folklore, with scientific knowledge also in thefield of Indo-European linguistics. His main work "Test ofComparative Grammar on Albanian Language" is the first scientific work in the comparative historic study aspect. He made animportant contribution with the publication of "The Albanian General Alphabet," in 1869.

Karmel Kandreva, 1931-1982. Renowned Arberesh writer. He was born in Saint Japel of Calabria. He has published an extensive study entitled "Didactic test in a bilingual Arberesh environment "which brings facts on the right of the arberesh people to cultivate their mother tongue and to teach it at schools. Kandreva has published poetical volumes entitled "Spirit of Arber is alive", "Spirit of Arbers is alive, Arberesh narrates," and"Spirit of Arber is alive, ancient branch suffers."

Skiroi Zef, poet, publicist and folklorist from Hora of Arbereshin Sicilia. After completing the Albanian Seminar of Palermo, he studied law. In the first period of his creativeness, Skiroi treated the patriotic tradition of Arberesh literature. Here we may mention the poem "Mili and Hajdhia". Other works of his are "Songs of Liktor", "In a foreign country," "Folk songs of Albania" etc.

Source: Albanian Government

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