Arbëreshë People - Notable Arbëreshë

Notable Arbëreshë

• Giorgio Basta (1544–1607), Imperial General of Rudolf II, during the Long War in Transylvania.
• Luca Matranga (1560–1619), Byzantine rite priest, one of the first writers in Albanian language.
• Ferruccio Baffa Trasci (1590–1656), bishop, theologian and philosopher.
• Pope Clement XI (1649–1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, Pope from 1700-1721.
• Giorgio Guzzetta (1682–1756), Byzantine rite priest, Apostle of the Albanians of Sicily and founder of the Albanian seminary.
• Nicolò Figlia (1693–1769), Byzantine rite priest and writer.
• Giulio Variboba (1725–1788), poet.
• Nicola Chetta (1741–1803), Byzantine rite priest, ethnographic, writer and poet.
• Francesco Bugliari (1742-1806), Byzantine rite bishop and Bishop of Thagaste.
• Pasquale Baffi (1749–1799), Hellenist, librarian, politician and revolutionary.
• Angelo Masci (1758–1821), writer.
• Gabriele Baffa Trasci Amalfitani di Crucoli (1770-1816), patriot.
• Giuseppe Crispi (1781–1859), priest and philologist, one of the major figures of the Arbëresh community of Sicily of his time.
• Tommaso Pace (1807–1887), scholar and historian.
• Vincenzo Torelli (1807–1882), journalist, librettist, writer, editor and impresario.
• Annunziato Capparelli (1811–1892), doctor and Risorgimento patriot, founder of La Giovine Italia in Acquaformosa.
• Girolamo De Rada (1814–1903), poet, folklorist and Albanian nationalist, among the major intellectual scholar of the Albanian language and Arbëreshë folklore.
• Francesco Antonio Santori (1819–1894), writer, playwright and poet of the Albanian National Awakening.
• Francesco Crispi (1819–1901), Italy's Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891, among the main protagonists of the Italian Risorgimento.
• Demetrio Camarda (1821–1882), Byzantine rite priest, Albanian language scholar, historian and philologist.
• Vincenzo Stratigò (1822–1885), poet and patriot during the Arbëreshë Risorgimento.
• Domenico Damis (1824–1904), Garibaldine general, Risorgimento patriot and politician.
• Luigi Lauda (1824–1892), writer, poet and historian, whose work contributed to make the Albanian question known within the European debate.
• Gabriele Dara (1826–1885), politician and poet, regarded as one of the early writers of the Albanian National Awakening.
• Gennaro Placco (1826–1896), poet and patriot.
• Pietro Irianni (1830–1898), Risorgimento patriot.
• Demetrio Baffa (1834–1911), patriot and Garibaldine lieutenant colonel.
• Bernardo Bilotta (1843–1918), priest, poet and folklorist.
• Simeone Orazio Capparelli (1852–1930), poet.
• Nicola Barbato (1856–1923), doctor and politician, among the founders of the movement of the Fasci Siciliani Workers.
• Giuseppe Serembe (1844–1901), lyric poet.
• Orazio Irianni (1861–1917), professor and journalist, supporter of the Albanian question in the Balkans.
• Giuseppe Schirò (1865–1927), poet, linguist, publicist, folklorist and Albanian patriot, among the most representative figures of the Arbëreshë literature of the 19th century.
• Paolo Schirò (1866–1941), Byzantine rite bishop, one of the most important Arbëreshë Albanologists.
• Nilo Borgia (1870–1942), Byzantine rite monk, bibliophile, philologist, writer and theologian.
• Salvatore Braile (1872–1960), lyric and satirical poet.
• Terenzio Tocci (1880–1945), politician.
• Gaetano Petrotta (1882–1952), bishop, philologist and albanologist, Albanian Language and Literature professor at the University of Palermo.
• Sepa Petta (1882–1959), bishop and doctor of phytotherapy, teacher of faith, traditions and language of the Arbëreshë people.
• Tito Schipa (1888–1965), tenor.
• Antonio Gramsci (1891–1937), philosopher, writer, politician and political theorist.
• Andy Varipapa (1891–1984), Italian-American professional and trick bowler.
• Costantino Mortati (1891–1985), statesman and contributor to the Italian Constitution.
• Vincenzo Domestico Cucci, a.k.a. Enzo Domestico Kabregu (1906–1971), Italian-Uruguayan painter.
• Enrico Cuccia (1907–2000), banker, founder of Mediobanca and important figure in Italian post-war industrial reconstruction.
• Ernesto Sabato (1911–2011), Argentine writer, painter and physicist.
• Domenico Bellizzi (1918–1989), a.k.a. Vorea Ujko, priest and poet.
• Michele Rio (1920–1965), poet.
• Donato Scutari (1925–2012), politician.
• Vincenzo Borrescio (1927–1995), politician and Arbëreshë language poet.
• Carmine De Padova (1928–1999), poet, Albanologist and school teacher, strongly committed to the teaching of the Arbëreshë language in his community.
• Augusto César Belluscio (1930), Italian-Argentine professor and lawyer.
• Eva Melicchio (1931), regarded as one of the most important labels in the Arbëreshë artistic weaving.
• Regis Philbin (1931), Albanian-American media personality and occasional actor and singer.
• Carmelo Candreva (1931–1982), Arbëreshë language poet, Albanologist, school teacher, firmly committed to the fight against analphabetism among adults from his community.
• Carmine Stamile (1933), Albanologist and school teacher, known, as his friend Carmelo Candreva, for his contribution to the fight against analphabetism among adults of his community.
• Stefano Rodotà (1933), politician.
• Ercole Lupinacci (1933), bishop of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Eparchy of Lungro.
• Sotir Ferrara (1937), bishop of the Italo-Albanian Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi.
• Emiliano Fabbricatore (1938), Basilian monk and Abbot of the Abbey of Santa Maria di Grottaferrata.
• Joseph DioGuardi (1940), Italian-American politician.
• Giuseppe Schirò Di Maggio (1944), poet, journalist, essayist, playwright and writer, among the most influential and prolific exponents of contemporary Arbëreshë literature.
• Carmine Abate (1954), novelist and short story writer.
• Silvana Licursi (1954), musician, her repertoire focuses on the Arbëreshë music traditions.
• Pino Cacozza (1957), Arbëreshë language singer-songwriter, president and director of Arbitalia (Arbëria's first online journal).
• Mario Bellizzi (1957), poet.
• Anna Stratigò (?), singer, expert of Arbëreshë music and traditions and of the Arbëreshë Risorgimento.