The Arberia

The importance of being arbereshe

The arbëreshë represent one of the largest ethnic group of Italy: their history and various elements of their identity intertwined with the human and social fabric of the territory, while the arbereshe were able, at the same time, to keep their own traditions alive. Language, religious rites, cultural, historical and gastronomic traditions from the motherland Albania are in fact still alive in the 50 arbereshe communities that live in Southern Italy: an incredible cultural heritage that has been holding up for over 600 years. Out of the 50 communities 35 of them survive in Calabria: most of them are in the province of Cosenza (27 communities) while the other 8 localize between Catanzaro and Crotone.
The arbëreshë are both witnesses and protagonists of the historical events that prepared and set up the Unification of Italy. It has been an incredible example of integration and welcoming, confirming how mutual knowledge and reciprocal cultural respect are tools to make communities thrive and grow.
The arbëreshë are a precious treasure that needs to be preserved in Italy. They are a coffer full with culture and traditions. But mostly tales of their motherland: their mutual influence, the armonical fusion of languages, culture and traditions are the added values of these communities that still today act as a bridge connecting the albanians and the italians.

The arbereshe language: a miracle that defies time