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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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