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| Arbëreshë | |
|---|---|
| Group | Arbëreshë |
| Regions | Italy (Calabria, Sicily, Basilicata, Molise, Apulia, Abruzzo) |
| Languages | Albanian (Arbëresh), Italian |
| Religion | Byzantine Rite Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity |
| Related | Albanians, Italo-Albanians, Greeks |
Arbëreshë.
The Arbëreshë are an Italo-Albanian ethnolinguistic community of Albanian origin located primarily in southern Italy and Sicily, descended from settlers who fled the Ottoman conquests of the Balkans in the 15th and 16th centuries. Their distinct identity has been maintained through continuous use of the Arbëresh language, Byzantine Rite practices, and communal institutions that link them to a wide network of Mediterranean and Balkan historical actors such as Skanderbeg, Ottoman Empire, Venice, Kingdom of Naples, Spanish Empire, and later Italian state formations like the Kingdom of Italy and the Italian Republic. Their presence intersects with figures, events, and cultural currents tied to Pope Gregory XIII, Gennaro Sambiase, Giovanni Crisostomo, and intellectual movements connected to Giuseppe Garibaldi and Risorgimento era debates.
Arbëreshë settlements trace to migratory waves after the fall of Albania and other Balkan territories to the Ottoman Empire following battles and sieges such as the Siege of Shkodra and the campaigns of leaders like Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. Refugees landed in domains controlled by powers including the Kingdom of Naples, the Republic of Venice, and the Aragonese Crown, often resettled in frontier zones impacted by conflicts like the War of the League of Cambrai and administrative policies enacted under rulers such as Ferdinand I of Aragon and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Early Arbëreshë communities feature in documents tied to bishops and prelatures like the Archdiocese of Santa Severina and patrons such as Pope Sixtus V. Intellectuals from Arbëreshë towns engaged with Enlightenment and national movements involving personalities like Niccolò Tommaseo, Giuseppe Schirò (junior), Francesco Crispi, and societies including the Accademia degli Arcadi. Over centuries Arbëreshë navigated shifting administrations including the Napoleonic Wars, the Congress of Vienna, and the unification processes culminating in the Italian unification.
The Arbëresh language is a variety of Tosk Albanian closely related to early modern Albanian forms preserved through contact with Romance languages and liturgical Greek. Its phonology and morphology show archaisms comparable to texts like the works of Gjon Buzuku and later lexicographic traditions linked to figures such as Giovanni Francesco Fortunato and Giuseppe Schirò. Arbëresh exhibits borrowings from Italian language dialects (Calabrian, Sicilian), loanwords from Greek language due to Byzantine Rite contacts, and substratal relics resonant with medieval texts tied to Dukagjini and Kastrioti lineages. Scholarly study has involved institutions and scholars including Instituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, Università di Palermo, Università della Calabria, and philologists such as Giuseppe Schirò (senior), Francesco Altimari, and Giuseppe Pitrè. Orthographic debates recall parallels with codification efforts in Standard Albanian by figures like Faik Konica and Ismail Kadare.
Arbëreshë cultural life fuses Balkan and Italian elements embodied in festivals, costume, music, and cuisine that reference regional repertoires seen in comparative studies with Greeks of Italy, Slavs, and Italians. Folk songs and epic traditions relate to the legacy of heroes like Skanderbeg and themes found in the Ora e verës cycle; musical forms recall influences studied alongside ethnomusicologists at institutions such as Museo delle Civiltà. Traditional costumes, embroidery, and crafts align with collections in museums including the Museo Nazionale Archeologico and exhibitions curated by figures such as Luigi Pirandello-era collectors. Celebrations such as village patronal feasts link parishes, confraternities, and civic bodies that have interchanged with regional calendars like those of Calabria and Sicily.
Religious identity for Arbëreshë centers on the Italo-Albanian Byzantine Rite maintained within the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church and some Eastern Orthodox Church jurisdictions. Parishes and eparchies tied to centers like the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi, the Eparchy of Lungro, and monasteries connect to liturgical traditions involving the Byzantine Rite, icons, and chants comparable to those preserved in Mount Athos manuscripts. Prominent clerics and cultural mediators include Byzantine-Rite bishops and translators who worked with Vatican authorities such as Pope Pius IX and later Pope John Paul II, and liturgical reforms intersected with councils like the Council of Trent indirectly via regional Catholic structures.
Arbëreshë communities are concentrated in southern Italian regions: Calabria, Sicily, Basilicata, Molise, Puglia, and Abruzzo, with notable towns such as Piana degli Albanesi, San Demetrio Corone, Greci, Chianche, and Vaccarizzo Albanese. Demographic trends have been shaped by emigration waves to United States, Argentina, Australia, and Canada during the 19th and 20th centuries, connecting diaspora networks to scholars at Columbia University and community organizations like cultural associations formed in cities such as New York City and Buenos Aires. Census classification within Italian statistical frameworks interacts with regional law and cultural protection measures enacted by bodies like the Italian Parliament.
Socioeconomic life historically revolved around agriculture, pastoralism, artisan crafts, and seasonal labor shaped by landholding patterns established under feudal lords and administrations like the Kingdom of Naples and later agrarian reforms associated with figures including Giuseppe Garibaldi and Italian legislators. Contemporary economies integrate tourism, cultural heritage initiatives, and small-scale industry tied to institutions such as regional chambers of commerce and universities including Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II and Università della Calabria. Educational preservation efforts involve bilingual schooling programs, research projects by scholars such as Francesco Altimari and institutions like Istituto Italiano per gli Studi Storici.
Contemporary Arbëreshë identity engages with language revitalization, cultural rights, and minority protections within frameworks influenced by European entities like the Council of Europe and Italian laws concerning linguistic minorities. Debates involve intellectuals, local administrations, and NGOs, and intersect with broader diasporic dialogues featuring writers and activists comparable to Ismail Kadaré in cultural advocacy. Challenges include demographic decline, assimilation pressures, and balancing tourism with heritage conservation managed alongside municipal authorities and cultural bodies, while opportunities arise from EU cultural programs and scholarly collaborations with centers such as Università di Palermo and Sapienza University of Rome.
Category:Ethnic groups in Italy