Texts and Documents of Albanian History

Robert Elsie

Texts and Documents of Albanian History
16th to 18th centuries

1510 Marinus Barletius: History of George Castriot, surnamed Scanderbeg The death of Scanderbeg, as recounted by Renaissance historian Marinus Barletius.

1515 John Musachi: Chronicle on the Descendants of our Musachi Dynasty The oldest substantial text written by an Albanian.

1521 Piri Re'is: 'Bahriye', a Sailor's Handbook A short nautical description of the Albanian coastline by an Ottoman navigator.

1570 Anonymous: Physical Description of Albania and the Defence of Ulcinj A travel description of Albania provided by an anonymous Venetian official.

1575 Carlo Ranzo: Report on a Voyage from Venice to Constantinople The harrowing journey of a Venetian nobleman through the wilds of Albania.

1579 Jean Carlier de Pinon: Pirates in Vlora A French squire stops over in Vlora and his men are taken hostage by pirates.

1591 Lorenzo Bernardo: Journey of the Venetian Ambassador The description of an overland journey through late 16th-century Ottoman Albania.

1610 Marino Bizzi: Report of a Visit to Turkey, Bar, Albania and Serbia The Catholic Archbishop of Bar (Antivari) provides a highly informative account of his tour through Turkish-occupied northern Albania to visit his oppressed flock.

1614 Mariano Bolizza: Report and Description of the Sanjak of Shkodra A Venetian official shows the possibilities of overland travel through Montenegro and northern Albania, and provides detailed information on towns and villages.

1621 Pjetër Budi: An Albanian Bishop Calls for an Uprising Bishop Pjetër Budi writes to the Vatican in order to instigate a native uprising against Ottoman rule.

1641 Frang Bardhi: A Description of Zadrima A detailed report to the Vatican about the Diocese of Sapa and the “tyranny of the Turks.”

1660 Evliya Chelebi: Seyahatname A Journey through Kosova The famed Ottoman traveller recounts his journey through 17th-century Kosova (Kosovo).

1662 Evliya Chelebi: Seyahatname A Journey through Northern Albania and Montenegro The famed Ottoman traveller recounts his journey through 17th-century northern Albania and Montenegro.

1670 Evliya Chelebi: Seyahatname A Journey to Berat and Elbasan The famed Ottoman traveller describes his visit to 17th-century Berat and Elbasan, with amazing descriptions of the two towns.

1670 Evliya Chelebi: Seyahatname A Journey to Gjirokastra The famed Ottoman traveller describes his visit to 17th-century Gjirokastra in southern Albania.

1670 Evliya Chelebi: Seyahatname A Journey to Vlora and Durrës The famed Ottoman traveller describes his visit to 17th-century Vlora and Durrës.

1671 Stefano Gaspari: Travels in the Dioceses of Northern Albania A Vatican official tours northern Albania to report on the situation of the Catholic Church and clergy there.

1689 Kosovo in the Great Turkish War of 1683-1699 Description of the Austrian military offensive against Ottoman forces in Kosovo, Macedonia and northern Albania.

1689 Kosovo im Großen Türkenkrieg von 1683-1699 Schilderung von Kriegsereignissen in Kosovo, Makedonien und Nord­albanien während einer kaiserlich-österreichischen Offensive gegen das osmanische Heer.

1705-15 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz: Correspondence on the Albanian Language The great German philosopher also devoted his attention to the then little-known Albanian language. Given here are excerpts from his correspondence.

1774 Johann Thunmann: On the History and Language of the Albanians and Vlachs This treatise by the Swedish historian Johann Thunmann is the earliest scholarly study on the Albanians.

 

The translations in this anthology may be copied, downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes if the source is appropriately documented. | Robert Elsie

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