Gaetano Petrotta, philologist and historian of Albanian literature, was born in Hora of Arbëreshë municipality (Sicily). His main work “Albanian people, language and literature”, published for the first time in 1932, also published in Albanian in recent years, is designed as a summary of the history of Albanian literature and journalism, since its beginnings in the Arber community in Italy, until the 1930s, in all the centers where there was publishing activity by Albanians. Petrotta’s studies also extended to other areas of Albanian studies, such as in matters of the alphabet, grammar, dialectology, lexicography, language history, ethnography, folklore and the history of Albanian culture. Yes, in 1932 he founded the chair of Albanian language and literature at the University of Palermo and held it until he passed away in 1952. Another asset that Petrota left behind is the manuscript of the Albanian grammar of Hora of Arbëreshë, as well as a phraseological dictionary of the Arberesh of Sicily. (In the photo: Gaetano Petrotta)
Text: Center of Studies and Publications for Arbëresh
Photo: © https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaetano_Petrotta
Graphic processing: AHCF
