Pjetër Zarishi (1806–1866), activist and fighter of the national liberation movement, poet, was born in the village of Blinisht in the province of Zadrima. He studied to become a priest in Rome and returned to Albania to work as a village priest. Afterwards, Zarishti became abbot in the chaotically populated province of Mirdita. He is mainly, but not entirely, the author of religious poems, which he wrote beautifully weaving foreign elements (Italian, Latin and Turkish) with native elements of Northern Albania. Some of his poetic creations were later published in the magazine “Hylli i Dritës” (“The Star of Light”), but many others remained unpublished. He died in Kallmet of his Zadrima. (In the photo: United Secondary Educational Institution “Pjeter Zarishi”, Blinisht, Lezhë.)
Text: Robert Elsie, History of Albanian literature , “Dukagjini”, Pejë, 2001, page 166.
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