Nicola Barbato, doctor, journalist and Arbëresh politician, died in Milan. He was born in Hora e Arbëreshëve (it. Piana degli Albanesi) in Sicily. He studied at the Greco-Albanian Seminary of Palermo, then completed his medical studies there. After graduation, he worked at the Palermo hospital, where, in addition to caring for patients, he also delved into studies in the field of psychiatry. At the same time, he started his activity as a journalist, dealing with social and problematic aspects related to the Albanian community. He was one of the founders of the Workers’ Movement in Sicily (March 1893), through which he opposed both the Sicilian mafia and the insensitive government of the time for the extreme poverty of Hora e Arbëreshëve. Due to his political commitment, his life has been in danger several times, and even his family members were killed by the mafia. In honor of his contribution to the organization of various social uprisings, today in Hora e Arbëreshëve there is an ethnographic museum named after him. (In the photo: Nikola Barbato )
Text: Center of Studies and Publications for Arbëresh
Photo: © https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Barbato
Graphic processing: AHCF
