The Arberesh towns near Palermo, Italy, have increased the number of cultural events held throughout the year in an effort to attract more tourists, mainly Albanians from Albania and Kosovo.
Local authorities have also been supported by local residents, who, alongside the creation of new jobs, are reviving the traditions of their ancestors who settled on the Italian peninsula five to six centuries ago.
Residents and leaders of the five Arberesh towns in western Sicily believe that the establishment of two low-cost air routes from Tirana and Prishtina to Palermo would enable direct travel.
Roberto Ferrara, an Italian activist supporting the Albanian cause, told BIRN that the current air route from Tirana connects only to Catania, about three hours away from Palermo and the nearby Arbëresh towns.
“I travel several times a year to Tirana, and the drive from Palermo to Catania airport takes even longer,” added Roberto, who regularly participates in the celebrations organised by “Hora Arbereshe” in Piana degli Albanesi.
The town of 6,200 inhabitants, around 25 kilometres from the Sicilian capital, has already built a strong reputation for its hospitality and for the patriotic and religious festivals it organises throughout the year.
“In recent years, the number of visitors to Piana has increased significantly. Around 400 tourists, mainly from Italy, Albania and Kosovo, joined the Saint George celebrations in April, the patron saint of the town,” Piana mayor Rosario Peta told BIRN.
According to him, Albanian tourists have shown great interest in visiting the monument to Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu, which was placed in the town’s main square two years ago.
Mayor Peta, who is also a member of the Diaspora Coordinating Council, said the council has supported public calls for air routes from Tirana and Prishtina to Palermo, which he believes would provide a new boost to tourism in the Arbëresh towns.
The Arberesh are descendants of Albanians who settled in southern Italy between the 15th and 16th centuries, mainly after the death of Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu and the Ottoman conquest of Albanian territories.
Concentrated mainly in Sicily, Calabria and other regions of southern Italy, they have preserved the Arbëresh language, Byzantine rite, traditional costumes and Albanian cultural customs for more than five centuries.
Today, Arberesh communities are considered an important cultural bridge between Albania and Italy, while many of their towns have become tourist destinations for visitors interested in Albanian history and heritage.
Dhimiter Stefa, a singer from Durrës, told BIRN that he had participated in one of the local festivals, “where together with other colleagues from Albania we were amazed by the organisation and the characteristic costumes worn by local women and girls.”
Veli Berisha, a Kosovar engineer living in Bern, Switzerland, continues to travel frequently to Piana degli Albanesi, just as he did during the fundraising campaign for the Skanderbeg monument created by sculptor Gëzim Muriqi.
“We feel at home here,” Berisha told BIRN. One of the leaders of the “Hora e Skënderbeut” association, he stressed that a direct air route from Prishtina would help strengthen ties and mutual understanding between Albanians and the Arbëresh.
Like the 43-year-old Kosovar, Giorgio Cuccia, an activist promoting the Arbëresh town, told BIRN that six to seven festivals with broad participation are scheduled each year in Piana’s squares and theatre. One of them, held annually, commemorates the founding of the town on August 30, 1488.
Around the same period, other Arbëresh towns were founded in western Sicily, including Santa Cristina Gela, Contessa Entellina, Mezzojuso and Palazzo Adriano.
Together with the Arbëresh population living in Palermo, the total number of Arbëresh in this area exceeds 30,000 people.
Palazzo Adriano also gained international recognition after serving as a filming location for Nuovo Cinema Paradiso by director Giuseppe Tornatore.
Tourist visits to the town are also frequent, while the calendar of festivals in the city’s main square remains full throughout the year,” concluded Giaccomo Cuccia, head of the “Skënderbeu” club.
