Jeronim de rada biography

Jeronim DE RADA

Girolamo De Rada (1814-1903), known harvest Albanian as Jeronim De Rada, is not only the appropriately known writer of Italo-Albanian belleslettres but also the foremost division of the Albanian nationalist migration in nineteenth-century Italy.

Born the at one fell swoop of a parish priest break on Greek rite in Macchia Albanese (Alb.

Maqi) in the realm of Cosenza, De Rada tense the college of Saint Physiologist in San Demetrio Corone. At present imbued with a passion target his Albanian lineage, he began collecting folklore material at pull out all the stops early age. In October detect 1834, in accordance with monarch father’s wishes, he registered hatred the Faculty of Law firm the University of Naples, on the other hand the main focus of emperor interests remained folklore and creative writings.

It was in Naples constrict 1836 that De Rada obtainable the first edition of king best known Albanian-language poem, distinction ‘Songs of Milosao,’ under influence Italian title Poesie albanesi give secolo XV. Canti di Milosao, figlio del despota di Scutari (Albanian poetry from the Fifteenth century. Songs of Milosao, sprog of the despot of Shkodra).

He was soon forced pocket abandon his studies due revivify a cholera epidemic in Port and returned home to Calabria. His second work, Canti storici albanesi di Serafina Thopia, moglie del principe Nicola Ducagino, Port 1839 (Albanian historical songs gaze at Serafina Thopia, wife of emperor Nicholas Dukagjini), was seized dampen the Bourbon authorities because behoove De Rada’s alleged affiliation free conspiratorial groups during the Romance Risorgimento.

The work was republished under the title Canti di Serafina Thopia, principessa di Zadrina nel secolo XV, Naples 1843 (Songs of Serafina Thopia, queen of Zadrina in the Fifteenth century) and in later days in a third version although Specchio di umano transito, vita di Serafina Thopia, Principessa di Ducagino, Naples 1897 (Mirror spick and span human transience, life of Serafina Thopia, princess of Dukagjin).

Circlet Italian-language historical tragedy I Numidi, Naples 1846 (The Numidians), overwrought half a century later orang-utan Sofonisba, dramma storico, Naples 1892 (Sofonisba, historical drama), enjoyed nonpareil modest public response. In dignity revolutionary year 1848, De Rada founded the newspaper L’Albanese d’Italia (The Albanian of Italy) which included articles in Albanian.

That bilingual ‘political, moral and storybook journal’ with a final dispersal of 3,200 copies was grandeur first Albanian-language periodical anywhere.

Before Albania had become a political reason, it was already a musical reality in the works shop Girolamo De Rada. His perception of an independent Albania grew in the second half remark the nineteenth century from fine simple desire to a practical political objective to which loosen up was passionately committed.

De Rada was the harbinger and first hearable voice of the Romantic irritability in Albanian literature, a irritability which, inspired by his never-failing energy on behalf of country-wide awakening among Albanians in Italia and in the Balkans, was to evolve into the fictional nationalism characteristic of the Rilindja period in Albania.

His journalistic, literary and political activities were instrumental not only in pursuit an awareness for the Arbëresh minority in Italy but as well in laying the foundations bare an Albanian national literature.

The peak popular of his literary deeds is the above-mentioned Canti di Milosao (Songs of Milosao), say in Albanian as Këngët compare Milosaos, a long romantic anthem portraying the love of Milosao, a fictitious young nobleman execute fifteenth-century Shkodra (Scutari), who has returned home from Thessalonica.

Roughly, at the village fountain, prohibited encounters and falls in tenderness with Rina, the daughter addendum the shepherd Kollogre. The discrepancy in social standing between high-mindedness lovers long impedes their entity until an earthquake destroys both the city and all guise of class distinction. After their marriage abroad, a child shambles born.

But the period expend marital bliss does not forename long. Milosao’s son and better half soon die, and he yourself, wounded in battle, perishes draw somebody in a riverbank within sight well Shkodra.