Sicily’s Arbëreshë community fears losing its language and traditions — Balkan Insight
In the town of Piana degli Albanesi in Sicily, the Arbëreshë community, Italy’s Albanian-speaking ethnic minority, is trying to preserve its language and traditions amid population outflow, a lack of jobs, and climate change. According to Balkan Insight, Mayor Rosario Petta said the town has lost more than 20% of its population over the past five years, with its official population falling below 6,000 residents.
Five centuries of heritage
The Arbëreshë are descendants of Albanian-speaking settlers who arrived in southern Italy in waves between the 15th and 18th centuries as a result of Ottoman expansion in the Balkans. A significant share of the ancestors of Sicily’s modern community arrived after the death of Albanian leader Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg in 1468 and the decline of the resistance to the Ottomans that he led.
Arbëreshë communities now live in Sicily, Calabria, Basilicata, Apulia, Campania, and Molise. Piana degli Albanesi, located about 24 kilometres south of Palermo, is considered their main cultural centre on the island. Road signs here use both Italian and Arbëresh, an ancient form of Albanian that developed separately from modern Albanian and was influenced by Italian and local dialects.
Language and agriculture under pressure
Giorgio Cuccia, president of the local Pro Loco cultural association, said Arbëresh is hardly spoken by residents aged between 5 and 20. The language is taught in schools and used during religious and cultural events, but its transmission within families is weakening. The town’s churches are Catholic but follow the Byzantine rite, which is also an important part of the community’s heritage.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Farmers Claudio and Chiara Scalia grow olives, keep apiaries, and produce organic goods on 50 hectares of land. They name their products using words from the Arbëresh language. At the same time, droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires are complicating agriculture: in 2023, fires destroyed several hectares of land near the town, while changes in weather mean harvesting begins earlier.
Betting on culture and tourism
Local authorities and activists are trying to support the community through cultural initiatives and tourism. The Zgjimi theatre group holds workshops and stages performances in Arbëresh. Piana degli Albanesi also hosts Byzantine-rite Easter celebrations, the Shen Gjergji festival in April, and traditional weddings with historical costumes decorated with gold thread.
Mayor Rosario Petta said that about 400 tourists, including visitors from Albania and Kosovo, came to the Shen Gjergji festival in April. In 2025, Albanian entrepreneur Geri Ballo launched the Made in Arberia digital store to promote craftspeople’s products, agricultural goods, and local tourism services of Arbëresh communities.
