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TheBulgarians in Italy are one of the sizable communities of theBulgarian diaspora inWestern Europe. There are about 120,000 Bulgarians in Italy according to the Bulgarian government.[1] There areBulgarian Orthodox parishes in Rome and Milan.[2] Major centres of Bulgarian migration areMilan,Bologna,Florence andTorino.
In the early 7th century AD, groups ofBulgars, one of the ancient peoples that participated in theethnogenesis of the modern Bulgarians, settled in theItalian Peninsula. The main migration was headed byAltsek, a Bulgar leader who initially joined theAvar Khaganate before switching allegiance to theGermanicLombards. Altsek and his people arrived in theExarchate of Ravenna, whereGrimoald I of Benevento invited them to populate theDuchy of Benevento. According to theGesta Dagoberti I regis Francorum, Altsek's Bulgars settled in what are today the communes ofIsernia,Bojano andSepino. Altsek remained the leader of the Bulgar-populated areas, bearing the titlegastald.[3][4][5][6]
It is uncertain whether this Altsek can be identified with another Bulgar lord, Altsiok. According to theChronicle of Fredegar, Altsiok deserted theAvar Khaganate in 631–632. Altsiok settled inBavaria with 9,000 Bulgars underFrankish kingDagobert I. Altsiok is known to have moved to theVenetian March with his 700 remaining men after Dagobert I slaughtered most of his people.[3][4][5]
Paul the Deacon in hisHistoria Langobardorum writing after the year 787 says that in his time Bulgars still inhabited the area, and that even though they speak "Latin," "they have not forsaken the use of their own tongue."[7] In later times they had evidently become completely assimilated.
Human graves of a steppe nomadic character as well as horse burials dated to the second half of the 8th century AD attest to the presence of Bulgars in theMolise andCampania regions.[8]Toponyms containing the rootbulgar and personal names such asBulgari anddi Bulgari continued to appear in medieval documents relating to the Italian Peninsula.
In the 17th century,Bulgarian Roman Catholics often visited Rome in their attempts to negotiate support for a Bulgarian uprising against theOttoman Empire. Prominent religious and public leaders such asPetar Bogdan andPetar Parchevich spent time in the city (seeChiprovtsi Uprising). The first book printed in modern Bulgarian,Abagar, was published in Rome in 1651.[5]
Based on Demo Istat statistics
During these times a duke of the Bulgarians, Alzeco by name, left his own people, from what cause is unknown, and peacefully entering Italy with the whole army of his dukedom, came to king Grimuald, promising to serve him and to dwell in his country. And the king directing him to Beneventum to his son Romuald, ordered that the latter should assign to him and his people places to dwell in. [1] Duke Romuald, receiving them graciously, accorded to them extensive tracts to settle which had been deserted up to that time, namely, Sepinum (Sepino), Bovianum (Bojano), Isernia [2] and other cities with their territories and directed that Alzeco himself, the name of his title being changed, should be called gastaldius [3] instead of duke. And they dwell up to the present time in these places, as we have said, and although they also speak Latin, they have not at all forsaken the use of their own language.
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