On the trail of Albanians fleeing
the Ottomans in southern Italy

In 1456 a violent earthquake completely devastated many regions of what was once the Kingdom of Sicily.
Many of these villages rebirth occurred with the arrival of Albanian refugees, who due to the advance of Turkish Muslims in the Balkans, have left their homeland.
Since this moment the figure of the Prince of Krujia Giorgio Castriota Scanderberg emerged as protagonist of the struggle for Albanian independence, of the war against the Turks and of various military campaigns in Italy between 1461 and 1470.
Today in these regions there are numerous Arbëreshë communities, or the so called "Albanians of Italy", who have maintained the use of the Albanian language combined with the Italian one.