Arbëreshë

Miss Arbëreshë, 2010

The Arbëreshë are an ethnic Albanian community living in the south of Italy. They originially came over in several distinct waves from Albania between the 15th and 18th century and speak Arbëreshë, an early form of modern Albanian influenced by Italian.

There are an estimated 260,000 Arbëreshë today and they comprise the largest ethnic minority in Italy, living mainly in Calabria and Basilicata.

Settlement

The Arbëreshë (a name used to describe the inhabitants of pre-Byzantine Albania) migrated to southern Greece around the 11th century. They were noted soldiers and often served as mercenaries in southern Europe. When the Byzantines invaded, the Arbëreshë then moved over to southern Italy. Again they often served as mercenaries during this period and for their services with the King of Naples they were given villages and land to settle in permanently.

Further migration took place over the next few centuries. The remote location of the villages helped the Arbëreshë to remain isolated from the rest of the country and this in turn enabled them to keep their traditions and language.

Notable Arbëreshë

• Clement XI - pope
• Francesco Crispi - politician and prime minister
• Giorgio Basta - soldier in the Holy Roman Empire

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