In the village of Piana dei Greci (Italy), Lekë Matrënga completed the translation of the well-known work “E mbësuame e Krishterë” (“Christian Doctrine”). Matrënga’s work contains an introduction in Italian, an eight-line poem that constitutes the first type of verse written in Albanian, as well as the catechism itself, which is a religious instruction on church doctrines in the form of questions and answers. Although short compared to other works of early Albanian literature, with only 28 pages, Matrënga’s “Christian Doctrine” is of historical and literary importance, not only as the second oldest publication of Albanian literature, but also as the first work by an Arbëresh and the first work written in Tosk dialect. (In the picture: Christian Doctrine)
Text: Robert Elsie, History of Albanian literature , “Dukagjini”, Pejë, 2001, pages 37-38.
Photo: © https://www.vaticannews.va/
Graphic processing: AHCF
