Albanians of Italy · Italo-Albanians | |
|---|---|
 The Albanian settlements of Italy (numbered list) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Italy(Abruzzo,Apulia,Basilicata,Calabria,Campania,Molise,Sicily) | 100,000[1][2][3]–260,000[a][4] |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
 ChristianityEastern Catholicism (Italo-Albanian Church) (minority:Latin Catholicism,Greek Orthodoxy) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
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TheArbëreshë (pronounced[aɾbəˈɾɛʃ];Albanian:Arbëreshët e Italisë;Italian:Albanesi d'Italia), also known asAlbanians of Italy orItalo-Albanians, are anAlbanianethnolinguistic group minority historically settled inSouthern andInsular Italy (in the regions ofAbruzzo,Apulia,Basilicata,Campania, andMolise, but mostly concentrated in the regions ofCalabria andSicily).[5]
They are the descendants of Albanian refugees settled in theKingdom of Naples andSicily who fled fromAlbania,Epirus, and later some from the numerousAlbanian communities ofAttica andMorea, between the 14th and the 18th centuries following the death ofGjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg and the gradual conquest of theBalkans by theOttoman Turks. Their culture is determined by the main features that are found inlanguage,religious rite, traditional costume, art and gastronomy, still zealously preserved, with the awareness of belonging to a specific ethnic group.
Over the centuries, the Arbëreshë have managed to maintain and develop their identities, thanks to their cultural value exercised mainly by the religious communities of theByzantine Rite.[6]Nowadays, most of the fifty Arbëreshë communities are adherents to theItalo-Albanian Church, anEastern Catholic Church. They belong to two eparchies, theLungro, for the Arbëreshë of ContinentalItaly, thePiana degli Albanesi, for the Arbëreshë ofSicily, and theMonastery of Grottaferrata ofLazio, whoseBasilian monks come largely from the Albanian settlements of Italy. The church is the most important organization for maintaining the characteristic religious, ethnic, linguistic and traditional identity of the Arbëreshë community.[7]
The Arbëreshë speakArbërisht, an old variant of theAlbanian language which derives from theTosk Albanian spoken in central-southern Albania and Epirus.[8] In Italy the Albanian Arbëresh language is protected by law number 482/99, concerning the protection of the historiclinguistic minorities.[9]
The Arbëreshë are scattered also in other parts of Italy. They are in great numbers in North and South America, especially in the US,Brazil,Chile,Argentina, Mexico,Venezuela,Uruguay and Canada, and in the various parts of central-northern Europe. It is estimated that there are about 100,000 Italo-Albanians (400,000 if including those outside of Italy); they constitute one of the oldest and largestminorities in Italy.[10][11] When speaking about their "nation", Arbëresh use the termArbëria, a loose geographical term for the scattered villages in southern Italy which use Arbëresh language.[10]
In the light of historical events, the secular continuity of the Albanian presence in Italy is exceptional. In 2017, an official application for inclusion of the Arbëresh people has been submitted to theUNESCO as a living human and social intangible cultural heritage of humanity by theGovernment of Albania.[12][13]
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The Arbëresh villages maintain two or three names, an Italian one as well as one or two nativeArbëresh 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 and the language, and others have totally disappeared. Today, Italy has 50 communities of Arbëreshë origin and culture, 41 municipalities and 9 villages, spread across seven regions ofsouthern Italy, forming a population of about 100,000.[1][2] Some cultural islands survive in the metropolitan areas ofMilan,Chieri,Turin,Rome,Naples,Bari,Cosenza,Crotone andPalermo. In the rest of the world, following the migrations of the twentieth century to countries such asCanada,Chile,Brazil,Argentina,Uruguay and theUnited States, there are strong communities that keep Arbëreshë traditions alive.
The full list of the Arbëresh Communities in Italy is:[14]
More than thirty ancient Albanian centers have lost, in different historical periods and for various reasons, the use of the Albanian language and are thus characterized by a lack of historical and cultural heritage of the Arbëresh: for Emilia-Romagna they are Pievetta and Bosco Tosca, hamlets of Castel San Giovanni (PC); for Lazio it is Pianiano (VT), a hamlet of Cellere; for Molise it is Santa Croce di Magliano (CB); for Campania in the province of Caserta it is Alife; for Apulia they are Casalnuovo Monterotaro, Castelluccio dei Sauri, San Paolo di Civitate (FG), Monteparano, San Giorgio Ionico, San Crispieri, Faggiano, Roccaforzata, Monteiasi, Carosino, Montemesola (TA); for Basilicata they are Brindisi Montagna, Rionero in Vulture (PZ); for Calabria are Cervicati (Çervikat), Mongrassano (Mungrasana), Rota Greca (Rrota), San Lorenzo del Vallo (Sullarënxa '), Sartano, Serra d'Aiello (Serrë, CS), Amato, Arietta (Arjèta), fraction of Petronà, Gizzeria (Jacaria) and the hamlets Mortilla (Mortilë) and Gizzeria Lido (Zalli i Jacarisë), Zagarise, Zangarona (Xingarona), fraction of Lamezia Terme, (CZ); for Sicily they are Mezzojuso (Munxifsi), Palazzo Adriano (Pallaci, PA), Sant'Angelo Muxaro (Shënt'Ëngjëlli, AG), Biancavilla (Callìcari), Bronte (Brontë), San Michele di Ganzaria (Shën Mikelli, CT).
The communities ofMezzojuso andPalazzo Adriano, in the province of Palermo, are to be considered a particular case, since, despite having lost the Albanian language and the customs of origin, they have kept the Greek-Byzantine rite, a peculiar pillar - together with language and customs - of the Albanian identity of the diaspora. In this case the identity is preserved in the religious aspect and in the historical memory. The communities ofCervicati,Mongrassano andRota Greca, in the province of Cosenza, preserve the memory of the original cultural heritage.
The Albanian migrations, since the beginning of the long diaspora, led to the formation of medium-small arbëreshe communities well integrated in numerous existing cities of central-northern Italy (in particular, Venice) and in the Crown of Aragon (Naples, Bari, Altamura, Barletta, Andria, Trani, Foggia, Bovino, San Severo, Lecce, Brindisi, Potenza, Matera, Melfi, Caltagirone and Piazza Armerina), in most cases reality - again for different reasons - assimilated by the surrounding culture.
Relevant cultural islands survive in the large metropolitan areas ofMilan,Turin,Rome,Naples,Bari,Cosenza,Crotone andPalermo. In the rest of the world, following the migrations of the twentieth century in countries such asCanada, theUnited States,Argentina,Brazil,Chile andUruguay there are strong communities that they keep the Arbëreshë language and traditions alive.
Since 1990, with the fall of the post-Bolshevik communist regime in Albania, significant communities of shqiptarë (Albanians of Albania) have entered and integrated into the social fabric of the Italian-Albanian towns. With the struggle for the independence of Kosovo (2008) a very recent group of Albanians, victims of the ethnic cleansing of the Yugoslav regime, has also integrated itself into the various Albanian communities of Italy.
In theMiddle Ages, the nativeAlbanians in the area of Albania called their countryArbëri orArbëni and referred to themselves asArbëreshë orArbëneshë.[16][17] In the sixteenth century, the toponymShqipëria and the demonymShqiptarë gradually replacedArbëria andArbëresh respectively. Nowadays, only the Albanians inItaly, whose ancestors immigrated from the Middle Ages, are called Arbëresh and the languageArbërisht. The termArbëreshë and its variants are also used asendonyms by theArbanasi inCroatia,Arvanites inGreece, andArnavut inTurkey.
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The invasion of the Balkans by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century forced many Arbëreshë to emigrate from Albania andEpirus,Attica,Thebes,Peloponnese then calledMorea and other Islands tosouthern Italy. There were several waves of migrations. In 1448, the King of NaplesAlfonso V of Aragon appealed toSkanderbeg to help suppress a revolt atNaples. Skanderbeg sent a force under the leadership ofDemetrio Reres, and his two sons. Following a request by the Albanian soldiers, King Alfonso granted them land and they were settled in twelve villages in the mountainous area calledCatanzaro in 1448. A year later the sons of Demetrio, George and Basil along with other Albanians were settled in four villages in Sicily.[19]
In 1461, the son of Alfonso, kingFerdinand I of Naples again requested the help ofSkanderbeg. This time, the legendary leader himself came to Italy with his troops led by one of his generals,Luca Baffa, to end a French-supported insurrection. Skanderbeg was appointed as the leader of the combined Neapolitan-Albanian army and, after winning two decisive battles, the Albanian soldiers effectively defended Naples. This time they were rewarded with land east ofTaranto 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 theBalkans,Albania became subject to the invading Turks. Many of its people under the rule ofLuca Baffa andMarco Becci fled to the neighboring countries and settled in a few villages in Calabria. From the time of Skanderbeg'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.[20] The new immigrants often took up work as mercenaries hired by Italian armies.
According to somealbanologists, this historiographic tradition was createdad hoc, as they believe that the resistance of Skanderbeg against the Turks was not the major factor that produced the Albanian migration to Italy. Indeed, scholars argue that Albanians have migrated from the western Balkans to Italy through several waves since the Middle Ages, even before Skanderbeg's period.[21]
Another wave of emigration, between 1500 and 1534, relates to Arbëreshë from central Greece. Employed as mercenaries byVenice, they had to evacuate the colonies of thePeloponnese with the assistance of the troops ofCharles V, as the Turks had invaded that region. Charles V established these troops in southern Italy to reinforce defenses against the threat of Turkish invasion. Established in isolated 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.
The wave of migration from southern Italy to theAmericas in 1900–1910 and 1920–1940 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 ofcommunism inAlbania in 1990, there has been a wave of immigration into Arbëreshë villages by Albanians.[citation needed]
Arbëresh derives from theTosk dialect spoken in southernAlbania, and is spoken in Southern Italy in the regions ofCalabria,Molise,Apulia,Basilicata,Campania,Abruzzi, andSicily. All dialects of Arbëresh are closely related to each other.
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The Arbëresh language retains many archaisms of medieval Albanian from pre-Ottoman Albania in the 15th century. It also retains someGreek language elements, including vocabulary and pronunciation. It has also preserved some conservative features that were lost in mainstream AlbanianTosk. For example, it has preserved certain syllable-initial consonant clusters which have been simplified in Standard Albanian (cf. Arbërishtgluhë/ˈɡluxə/ ('language/tongue'), vs. Standard Albaniangjuhë/ˈɟuhə/). It sounds more archaic than Standard Albanian, but is close enough that it is written using the sameAlbanian alphabet as Standard Albanian. AShqiptar (Albanian) listening to or reading Arbërisht is similar to a modern English speaker listening to or readingShakespeareanEnglish. 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 calledAlbanese ("Albanian" in Italian) 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 theItalo-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, they came into contact with local Arbëreshë communities.
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 asGiuseppe Schirò Di Maggio have done much work on school books and other language learning tools in the language, producing two booksUdha e Mbarë andUdhëtimi, both used in schools in the village ofPiana degli Albanesi.
Linguists focusing on the language include (Albanian) Eda Derhemi,[22] (diaspora born)Martin Di Maggio[23] as well as (Piana degli Albanesi native) Vito Matranga.[24]
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, Arbërisht is accorded some degree of official recognition in the autonomy statutes of Calabria, Basilicata and Molise.
In certain communes the local authorities support cultural and linguistic activities promoted by the Arbëresh communities and have agreed to the erection of bilingual road signs.[25] 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. Nevertheless, the increase in training in the use of the written language has given some hope for the continuity of this culture.
The first work of Italo-Albanian literature was that of Sicilian archpriestLuca Matranga (1567–1619). The book was titledE 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 the 18th century there wasGiulio Variboba (1724–1788,Jul Variboba), regarded by many Albanians as the first genuine poet in all of Albanian literature.[26] 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 1761 and there he published in 1762 his long lyric poemGhiella 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 wasNicola Chetta (1740–1803) known in Albanian asNikollë Keta. As a poet he wrote verses both in Albanian and Greek language and he has also composed the first Albanian sonnet in 1777. 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.[27]The most prominent figure among Arbëresh writers and the foremost figure of theAlbanian nationalist movement in 19th-century Italy was that ofGirolamo de Rada (Jeronim De Rada). Born the son of a parish priest ofItalo-Albanian Catholic Church inMacchia Albanese (Maqi) in the mountains ofCosenza, 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 theUniversity of Naples, but the main focus of his interests remained folklore andliterature. It was in Naples in 1836 that De Rada published the first edition of his best-known Albanian-language poem, the "Songs of Milosao", under the Italian titlePoesie albanesi del secolo XV. Canti di Milosao, figlio del despota di Scutari (Albanian poetry from the 15th century. Songs of Milosao, son of thedespot ofShkodra). His second work,Canti storici albanesi di Serafina Thopia, moglie del principe Nicola Ducagino, Naples 1839 (Albanian historical songs of Serafina Thopia, wife of princeNicholas Dukagjini), was seized by theBourbon authorities because of De Rada's alleged affiliation with conspiratorial groups during the ItalianRisorgimento. The work was republished under the titleCanti 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 asSpecchio 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 tragedyI Numidi, Naples 1846 (The Numidians), elaborated half a century later asSofonisba, dramma storico, Naples 1892 (Sofonisba, historical drama), enjoyed only modest public response. In therevolutionary 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 theRomantic movement in Albanian literature, a movement which, inspired by his unfailing energy on behalf of national awakening among Albanians in Italy and in theBalkans, was to evolve into the romantic nationalism characteristic of theRilindja 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-mentionedCanti di Milosao (Songs of Milosao), known in Albanian asKëngët e Milosaos, a long romantic ballad portraying the love of Milosao, a fictitious young nobleman in fifteenth-century Shkodra (Scutari), who has returned home fromThessalonica. 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.
TheItalo-Albanian Catholic Church,particular churchsui iuris, includes three ecclesiastical jurisdictions: theEparchy of Lungro degli Italo-Albanesi for the Albanians ofSouthern Italy based inLungro (CS); theEparchy of Piana degli Albanesi for Albanians ofInsular Italy based inPiana degli Albanesi (PA); theTerritorial Abbacy of Santa Maria of Grottaferrata, withBasilian monks (O.S.B.I.) come from the Italo-Albanian communities, located in the only abbey and abbey church in Grottaferrata (RM).[citation needed]
The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church being a Byzantine enclave in the Latin West, is secularly inclined toecumenism between theCatholic Church and theEastern Orthodox Church.[clarification needed] It was the only abode of eastern Christianity from the end of theMiddle Ages until the twentieth century inItaly.[citation needed]
There are institutions and religious congregations of theByzantine rite in the territory of the Italo-Albanian Church: the Basilian Order of Grottaferrata, the Collegine Sisters of Sacra Famiglia, Piccole operaie dei Sacri Cuori and the congregation of the Basilian Sisters Daughters of Saint Macrina.[citation needed]
Among the Arbëreshë the memory of Skanderbeg and his exploits was maintained and survived through songs, in the form of a Skanderbeg cycle.[28]
Arbëreshë people have preserved theirAlbanian traditional dances (vallje), including theAlbanian sword dance.
"Gjitonia" is a form of neighbourhood typical of Arbëresh communities and widespread throughout the Arbëresh people. It comes from theGreekγειτονιά (geitonía). The Gjitonía functions as a microsystem around which the life of thehorë (village) revolves; the Gjitonía is a smaller-scale version of the layout of the village often consisting of a small square towards which the alleys are oriented, surrounded by buildings that have openings towards a larger square (shesh) on diagonal angles. The name is usually taken from the families that live there.The social aspect of the Gjitonía is an ancient and historical structure where values of hospitality and solidarity between the families of the neighbourhood coexisted and where there was no difference of social class. Mainly for the Italian-Albanian communities, it is a world where relationships were so strong that they created real family relationships so much so that the Arbëreshe phraseGjitoni gjirì ("neighbourhood relatives") is typical.[29]
TheArbëreshë cuisine is composed of the cuisines ofAlbania andItaly. The style of cooking and the food associated with it have evolved over many centuries from their Albanian origins to a mixed cuisine ofSicilian, Calabrian, andLucanian influences.
These traditional dishes arePiana degli Albanesi (Palermo,Sicily):
A study from 1918 included 59 Arbëreshë men fromCosenza,Calabria, the result showed thatfair hair was present in 27% of them. The same study also showed that the frequencies oflight eyes andwhite skin, were 47% and 67% respectively. The Arbëreshë, from this survey, are found to be overall less pigmented than the Calabrians. They are also taller (m. 1.64) and less dolichocephalic (cephalic index 80.6).[30]
Multiple studies based on paternal lineages revealed the Arbereshë to be clearly an outlier population in the Italian genetic background, with a strong genetic affinity with southern Balkans populations and with only a minimal admixture from nearby Greek and Italian populations. The haplogroups most strongly associated with Arbereshë people areR1a-Z282,I-M423,R1b-M269,I-M26,E-V13,I-M223 andE-M123, all found in the Balkans since theBronze Age andMedieval Age.[31][32][33]
A full genome study found that the Arbereshë appears as slightly differentiated from Southern Italians, by clustering with the otherSouthern Balkan populations such as Albanians ofAlbania andKosovo.[34]
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