THE ITALIAN ARBERESH AND ALBANIAN NATIONAL CASE

Abstract

This scientific research through the accumulation of facts, historical resources and their interpretation aims to give a full panorama of the whole contribution of the Italian arberesh to the Albanian case at the end of the XIX-th century until the first decade of the XX-th century. Exactly by beginning at the end of the 19th century in the south of Italy it will begin to loom an Albanian literature with an authentic national content. The well known representatives of such a literature would be important figures in the rows of the Arberesh Italian – Albanian community who had achieved to conserve a clear Albanian language and traditions. Also the Italian-Albanian periodic press like “Fiamuri Eve”, “The Albanian Nation” that were created during this period would become the forums for the disclosure of their political thoughts and ideas about the fate and the future of the Albanians that lived under the rule of the Otoman Empire at the end of the 19th century. Among the initiators of such a movement at this period would be Jeronin De Rada, Dhimiter Kamarda, Zef Skiroi etc. Their activity would be displayed through their wide multi-aspect creativity which is evidenced in the literature, scientific, cultural, publicist political and patriotic aspect. Of a particular importance would be considered their ideas and projects in the funtion of creating an autonomous Albanian Vilayet. All their activities will serve a single purpose and will developed in order to support the solution of the Albanian nation political case and will find the full support not only of the Italian-Albanian society but also of the other well known figures and personalities of the Italian politics. The Italian Arberesh used all their possibilities to give an international dimension to the Albanian case as a factor of stability in the Balkan region and beyond. In order to express the obove problematic we have exploited a rich archival literature represented by the dense correspondence of De Rada with other known personalities of that time such as the Romanian princess with Albanian origin Dora D’istria (Elena Gjika), we have used the political Testament of De Rada, by viewing it in a comparative context with the studies of other Albanians and foreign authors.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n19p651