Arbëreshë
The Arbëreshë are an Albanian ethnic group native to southern Italy, descendants of refugees who fled Albania and Greece beginning in the fifteenth century during Ottoman expansion.
They maintain a distinct language (also called Arbëreshë), Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic religious traditions, and cultural practices that have persisted across centuries in scattered communities throughout Calabria, Sicily, and other southern regions.
Southern Italian region
- SicilyMediterranean's biggest island
- PugliaSoutheastern Italian region
- villagesSmall rural settlements
- settlementsEstablished communities or agreements
Southern Italy · mountain communities · isolated · scattered · enclaves · municipalities · provinces · rural
Inherited communal music
- traditional dressCulturally specific attire
- costumeClothing for portrayal
- embroideryDecorative stitching on fabric
- danceRhythmic bodily movement
Easter celebrations · festivals · crafts · customs · oral poetry · folklore · pageantry · wedding rituals
Balkan nationality or language
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
- minoritySmaller part of whole
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
Balkans · migration · ethnic · community · descendants · lineage · identity · enclaves
Of Constantinople's civilization
- Greek CatholicEastern-rite Roman communion member
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- papasFathers, informally
- priestOne who performs sacraments
cathedral · religious traditions · saints · feast days · holy synod · canonical · sacraments · vestments
Regional language variety
- AlbanianBalkan nationality or language
- linguisticConcerning language study
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- endangeredAt risk of extinction
bilingual · mother tongue · spoken · vernacular · grammar · vocabulary · phonology · oral tradition
Calabria
Southern Italian region
- SicilyMediterranean's biggest island
- PugliaSoutheastern Italian region
- villagesSmall rural settlements
settlements · Southern Italy · mountain communities · isolated · scattered · enclaves · municipalities · provinces · rural
folk songs
Inherited communal music
- traditional dressCulturally specific attire
- costumeClothing for portrayal
- embroideryDecorative stitching on fabric
dance · Easter celebrations · festivals · crafts · customs · oral poetry · folklore · pageantry · wedding rituals · ceremonial
Albanian
Balkan nationality or language
- diasporaScattered population sharing origins
- minoritySmaller part of whole
- ancestryFamily line of descent
heritage · Balkans · migration · ethnic · community · descendants · lineage · identity · enclaves · bloodline
Byzantine
Of Constantinople's civilization
- Greek CatholicEastern-rite Roman communion member
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- papasFathers, informally
priest · cathedral · religious traditions · saints · feast days · holy synod · canonical · sacraments · vestments · chanting
dialect
Regional language variety
- AlbanianBalkan nationality or language
- linguisticConcerning language study
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
endangered · bilingual · mother tongue · spoken · vernacular · grammar · vocabulary · phonology · oral tradition · fluency
- Italian dialectsVenetian, Lombard, Sicilian, Umbrian, Florentine
Arbëreshënative populations
Original regional inhabitants