Robert Elsie

Texts and Documents of Albanian History

Albanian History
1000 — 1799

1000-1018 Anonymous: Fragment on the Origins of Nations The document seems to provide the earliest written reference to the Albanians as a people.

1038, 1042, 1078 Michael Attaleiates: The First Byzantine References Byzantine historian Michael Attaliates gives the earliest references to the Albanian people as recorded in Byzantine historical texts.

1081 Anna Comnena: The Norman Invasion of Albania The daughter of the Byzantine emperor provides an account of her father’s battle with the invading Normans near Durrës and Ndroq.

1154 Muhammad al-Idrisi: The Book of Roger A short description of Albania by a 12th century Arab geographer.

1257 George Acropolites: An Albanian Uprising A Byzantine historian chronicles a 13th century Albanian rebellion in the Ohrid and Dibra region.

1267 George Pachymeres: An Earthquake in Durrës A Byzantine historian describes the earthquake that destroyed Durrës in July 1267.

1308 Anonymous: Description of Eastern Europe An anonymous French Dominican priest describes his tour through early 14th century Albania.

1322 Simon Fitzsimons: Itinerary from Ireland to the Holy Land Two Franciscan clerics from Ireland describe Albania on their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and refer to the Albanian language.

1328, 1332, 1336 John Cantacuzene: Unruly Nomads Pay Homage to the Emperor The Byzantine Emperor John VI Cantacuzene makes several brief references to the Albanians in this text, describing them as wild and unruly nomads.

1332 Anonymous: Initiative for Making the Passage A Dominican priest makes reference to the Albanian language in this description of the country and how easy it would be for the Catholic world to conquer it.

1470 Fior Jonima: A Ravaged Land The earliest personal account given by an Albanian about the state of his country.

1474 George Merula: The Siege of Shkodra An Italian historian narrates the Ottoman siege of Shkodra in September 1474.

1493 Hartmann Schedel: On Macedonia, Epirus and Albania The “Nuremberg Chronicle” of the German humanist Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514) contains what is possibly the earliest description of Albania and the western Balkans printed in central Europe.

1497 Arnold von Harff: Pilgrimage from Cologne A German pilgrim visits Durrës on his way to the Holy Land and jots down words and expressions in the Albanian language.

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.

1534 Sebastian Franck: Albania: A Mighty Province of Europe In his geography book, the sixteenth-century German humanist Sebastian Franck describes Albania and the western Balkans as it was known in Europe in his day.

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.

1633 Pjetër Mazrreku: Report on a Visit to Northern Albania A description of northern Albania and its martial inhabitants in a report that Pjetër Mazrreku (Ital. Pietro Maserecco), the Catholic Archbishop of Antivari (Bar) and Primate of Serbia, sent to the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda Fide. In this text, the archbishop also adds a list of Albanian words to show their affinity to Italian.

1637 Frang Bardhi: Report on a Visit to Puka Frang Bardhi the Bishop of Sapa and Sarda, set out on a pastoral visit to the rarely visited Puka region in the mountains and reported on his journey to the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda Fide in Rome.

1638 Frang Bardhi: The Pasha of Bosnia attacks Kelmendi In June of 1638, Bishop Frang Bardhi sent a report on his pastoral visit in the mountains to the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda Fide in Rome. Included in it is this somewhat glorified text about the northern Albanian Kelmendi tribe under attack from the Pasha of Bosnia.

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

1653 Mark Kryeziu: A Pastoral Visit to Northern Albania Mark Kryeziu, known in Italian as Marco Crisio, was an Albanian priest and Apostolic Visitor and Commissioner who reported to the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda Fide in Rome on his journey through northern Albania in 1653, a period of rapid Islamisation.

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.

1669 Edward Brown: A Journey through Skopje and Kosovo A British traveller leaves a brief description of Skopje and Kosovo in 1669

1670 Evliya Chelebi: Seyahatname A Journey around Lake Ohrid The famed Ottoman traveller describes his visit to Lake Ohrid in the 17th century.

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.

1675 Jacob Spon: Voyage down the Coast of Albania A French physician sails down the coast of Albania in the summer of 1675.

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.

1717 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu: Letters from Turkey The wife of the British Ambassador in Istanbul gives her impressions of an encounter with some Albanians.

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.

1782 Karl Gottlieb von Windisch: On the Kelmendi in Syrmia An early report on families of Albanian Kelmendi tribesmen who, in the mid-eighteenth century, settled in Syrmia west of Belgrade, in present-day Serbia.

 

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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