During a similar time to the European Renaissance, a large cultural awakening occurred in Albania. This period, referred to as the "Albanian Renaissance" or the "Arbëresh Renaissance", stemmed from Italy, adopting many humanistic ideas. Literature, art, architecture, education and science experienced a significant growth despite the slower evolution of the Renaissance in Albania. The awakening in Albanian lands was slowed by multiple factors, which included the large exodus of Albanians to Italy and the political situation of the region caused by Ottoman occupation.
Most acclaimed Albanian humanist scholars lived outside the country, such as Luca Matranga, Marin Barleti, Dhimitër Frëngu, Marin Beçikemi, Andrea Alessi, Gjon Gazulli, Marco Basaiti, Nikollë Leonik Tomeu and many others. While sparse, the scholars that remained in Albania played a crucial role in Albanian culture. This includes Gjon Buzuku, who in 1555 wrote the earliest recorded Albanian book, Meshari, Onufri, who revolutionized Albanian art, Pjetër Bogdani, Pjetër Budi and many more.
Cities such as Scutari, Durrës, Ulcinj, Kotor, Tivar, Vlora and Saranda would become Adriatic trading hubs, where works of the Renaissance would be traded between Albania and the rest of Europe. Inland cities also experienced large urbanization and economical prosperity. Many schools and universities would also be opened across Albania.
Due to the Albanian–Ottoman Wars (1432–1479), the figure of Skanderbeg became a major vocal point among Albanian scholars. The need to form a "National identity" also led to the need for the preservation of the Albanian language, especially during the 16th–17th centuries.
Background Before the Renaissance, Albania had little development in science and in preserving its own language. Most schools focused on religious studies instead of scientific ones. In terms of literature, Albanians did not use their own language. Despite having their own, in books, documents, and daily interactions they would use Greek or Latin. This usage of foreign languages was also documented by the bishop of Tivar, Guillem Adam, who in a letter to the French king in 1332 would state:
The first known document originally written in Albanian is the "Baptismal formula" by the bishop of Durrës, Pal Engjëlli, in 1462, which today is located in the library of Florence. The second oldest document is Arnold Ritter von Harff's lexicon written in 1496. The third earliest document is a part of the Easter Gospel Pericope thought to have been written around the late 15th century – early 16th.
The Renaissance started in the region of Tuscany, primarily in the city of Florence and marked the transition between the Middle Ages and modernity. Despite there being no exact start and end date of the Renaissance, proponents of a "Long Renaissance" argue that the period began in the 14th century (Trecento) and lasted until the 17 century (Seicento). It would later spread to Venice, the heart of a Mediterranean Empire which had control of the Eastern trade routes since participating in the Crusades and due to the voyages of Marco Polo. The Italian trade routes across the Mediterranean Sea and beyond were turned into conduits of culture and knowledge. Humanism, an intellectual movement embraced by scholars, writers and civic leaders in the 14th century also gained popularity in Europe, aiding the spread of the Renaissance ideas. Founded by Italian scholar and poet Francesco Petrarca, the movement reacted against the utilitarian approach to education, seeking to create a citizenry able to speak and write with eloquence and able to engage the civic life of their communities.
The Italian Renaissance laid the foundation for the Albanian Renaissance, with its ideas reaching Albania through books and documents, which were traded through Adriatic cities such as Scutari, Durrës, Ulqin, Kotor, and Tivar. Due to Ottoman rule and the large migration of Albanians to Italy, the Renaissance developed at a slower pace compared to the rest of Europe. This led to most Albanian scholars moving to foreign countries where they created literary, artistic, philosophical and scientific works. Many Albanians would also move to Italy for educational purposes, where they would study in Italian universities. Scholars that remained in Albania fused the ideas of humanism with Albanian tradition, religion and folklore. The Albanian Renaissance was characterized by the first known attempts of preserving the Albanian language, laying the stepstones for the Albanian National Awakening in the 19th century.
Literature
Albanian writers that remained in Albania, known as Old Albanian authors, sought out to prevent the assimilation of the Albanian language by creating Christian, literary and cultural works. From these authors the most notable were Gjon Buzuku, Pjetër Bogdani, Pjetër Budi, and Frang Bardhi. Gjon Buzuku wrote the first Albanian book, Meshari, in 1555, a translation of the main parts of the Catholic Liturgy into Albanian. The book also contains the liturgies of the main religious holidays of the year, comments from the book of prayers, excerpts from the Bible, and excerpts from the ritual and catechism. Pjetër Bogdani would also publish a book focused on Catholicism, the Band of Prophets (Cuneus Prophetarum). Pjetër Budi is another writer known for his works and translations on religion which would be published in Rome, and in 1618 he wrote 100 pages of prose as well as 3,200 verses of poetry, which would be published in the Christian Doctrine. He is also known for writing the book "Pasqyra e të rrëfyemit" Frang Bardhi was another notable Albanian writer and bishop, who in 1635 published the first Albanian dictionary, Dictionarium latino-epiroticum (Latin-Albanian dictionary), and in 1636 he wrote a biography about Skanderbeg, titled The Apology of Scanderbeg.Georgius Castriotus Epirensis, vulgo Scanderbegh. Per Franciscum Blancum, De Alumnis Collegij de Propaganda Fide Episcopum Sappatensem etc. Venetiis, Typis Marci Ginammi, MDCXXXVI (1636).
Diaspora literature
From the Albanian authors that lived outside of Albania, the most notable would be Demetrio Franco (Dhimitër Frëngu), Marin Barleti, Marin Beçikemi, Anonimi Tivaras, Luca Matranga and Gjon Muzaka. One of the earliest books written by the Albanian diaspora was Historia Skanderbegiae (History of Skanderbeg), also known as History of the Kastrioti named Skanderbeg, published in 1480 in Venice by Anonimi Tivaras. Other books published on Skanderbeg during this time were Siege of Shkodra and Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis (1504) by Marin Barleti. and Gli illustri e gloriosi gesti e vittoriose imprese fatte contro i Turchi dal Signor Don Georgio Castriotto detto Scanderbeg, principe d' Epiro by Dhimitër Frëngu, who also wrote a biography on him. Marin Beçikemi would be another author known for his works on Albania after the Ottoman invasion, as well as the translation of ancient Roman texts. Luca Mataranga wrote the second known book in Albanian, "E mbsuame krështerë", published in Rome during 1592. Gjon Muzaka is known for writing the Muzaka chronicles in 1510, a series of documents which describe the history of the Muzaka Principality as well as the other Albanian noble houses during the Middle Ages, however Gjon Muzaka is criticized for his chronicles having "bias" with him depicting his house as a higher one oppose to the others.Omari, Jeton (2014). Scanderbeg tra storia e storiografia [Skanderbeg between history and historiography] (PDF) (Thesis). University of Padua.
The publishing of many works by the Albanian diaspora would be done with the help of Bernardino Vitali, an Albanian printer and publisher.
The spread of Humanism amongst the Albanian diaspora influenced their appraising of Skanderbeg, with his figure being materialized in many of the first Albanian historiographic works. Skanderbeg's figure and persona during the 15th century inspired many Albanian immigrants, leading to him being the subject of the works of multiple Albanian diaspora scholars, of which the first was Barleti.
Poetry
During the 16th-17th centuries poetry would also experience a growth in popularity. Most Albanian poets from this time would live in Istanbul, writing diwan poetry in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. Many of these poems would play a crucial role in classical Turkish literature and in the Timurid Renaissance. Of these poets, the most notable were Mesihi of Prishtina, Yahya bey Dukagjini and Suzi Çelebi. Mesihi is known for writing the poem "Murabba' -i bahâr" (Ode to Spring) which would later be translated by Orientalist William Jones. It remained for a long time as the best known Turkish poem in Europe. Yahya Bey Dukagjini also played a crucial role in Albanian-Ottoman poetry. He is known for writing a Khamsa of five poems, from which the most famous are "Shâh u gedâ" (The King and the Beggar) and "Yusuf ve Züleyha" (Yusuf and Züleyha), a poem which regards the romance and love of two youths. Suzi Çelebi is known for writing the epic poem "Gazavatname Mihaloğlu", which narrates the 15th century Ottoman conquest of the Balkans as well as the glory and battles of Ottoman commander Mihaloğlu Ali Bey. Çelebi also founded the first open library in the Ottoman Balkans in Prizren.
Art The 14th century marked a significant improvement for Albanian art, even despite the usage of solely the Byzantine style. This period led to the rise of iconography, where many murals and frescoes where painted on churches and monasteries. The "Epitaph of Gllavenica", painted in 1373 in the Church of St. Mary in Ballsh, was the most important artistic work of the time, showing the resurrection of Jesus. Due to the Ottoman invasion and its multiple battles, many iconographic documents, as well as old woodcuts from the 12th–13th centuries would be destroyed. The Fall of Constantinople marked a "severing" of the Albanian-Byzantine cultural connections, causing a change in style of Albanian iconography to a unique style which included a mixture of post-Byzantine, traditional Albanian and Italian Renaissance art styles.
In Albania, the most notable painters were Onufri and his son Nikolla. The artistic works of this period, especially from Onufri, would leave an influence on Albanian art up until the 19th century. Onufri introduced a new style of painting with him using natural color dies as well as introducing the color pink into paintings. He also established the first Albanian art school in Berat, which would later be passed down to Nikolla. After Nikolla, the university was given to Onufri Cypriota. Cypriota took many elements from Onufri, including the signing of artworks, something which had not been practiced in Albanian before the Renaissance. An original element of Onufri Cypriota's work was the adding of text to his artworks. His most notable paintings "Prayers" and "Christ the Almighty" (icons).
Some sources also state that the famous Venetian painter, Marco Basaiti, came from an Albanian family, with him also writing texts and supporting the Albanian school of Venice. Basaiti created 30 known artworks, including "Call of the Sons of Zebedee", "Portrait of a Young man", "Agony in the Garden" and "Lamentation". Many modern historians consider Basaiti as one of the last masters of the early Renaissance, with his works demonstrating a refined quattrocento style.Bonario, Bernard. Marco Basaiti: A Study of the Venetian Painter and a Catalogue of His Works. 1974. University of Michigan, PhD dissertation. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global
Science and Philosophy