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Arberesh people of Italy left Albania
after the Ottomanoccupation of the 15th
century, but they have inheritedgeneration
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
greatimportance 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 Arbereshliterature 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 fromFrasnita 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
AlbanianGeneral Alphabet," in 1869.
Karmel Kandreva, 1931-1982. Renowned
Arberesh writer. He was born in Saint
Japel of Calabria. He has published an
extensive studyentitled "Didactic test in
a bilingual Arberesh environment"which
brings facts on the right of the arberesh
people tocultivate 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, hestudied law. In the first
period of his creativeness, Skiroitreated
the patriotic tradition of Arberesh
literature. Here wemay mention the poem "Mili
and Hajdhia". Other works of his are"Songs
of Liktor", "In a foreign country," "Folk
songs ofAlbania" etc.
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