In the village of Saint-Sofia (Calabri), Angelo Masci was born, an Arbëresh researcher of Albanian history and popular culture. He studied at the college of Saint Adrian in Saint-Mitra (Calabri), in 1758. He studied law in Naples. He worked as a lawyer. His main work is “Discorso sull’origine, i costumi e lo stato attuale degli Albanesi del Regno di Napoli”, Naples, 1807 (“Lecture on the origin, docket and current state of the Albanians of the Kingdom of Naples”). Angelo Masci argues for the autochthony of Albanians and their descent from the Pelasgians, writes about the Albanians’ struggle for freedom and demands that the Arbëresh people of Italy be recognized by the state of Southern Italy as a separate nationality. The work influenced the people of Arbëresh in Italy and the Albanian renaissance in the 19th century. Its first edition was translated into French by the geographer K. Maltebrun, which made Albanians known to the outside world. The work also influenced the cultured Italian public opinion of the time. He passed away in 1821. (In the photo: Angelo Masci)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 2 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 1649-1650.
Photo: © https://www.zgjohushqiptar.info/2020/12/262-vite-nga-lindja-e-juristit-dhe-studiuesit-xquar-arberesh-engjell-mashi.html
Graphic processing: AHCF
