SPORTELLO LINGUISTICO DI SPEZZAN

Vincenzo Luci (1826-1898)

He was born in Spezzano Albanese in 1826. He was a valiant patriot during the revolution of 1848. He was appointed chief of the National Guard. In 1850 he was imprisoned and sent to the island of Ventotene. After 10 years he returned home. His homecoming coincided with the arrival of Garibaldi in Calabria. Luci showed great courage while taking part in the march of the “Mille” and after the battle of Volturno he was awarded a gold medal for his courage. He died in Spezzano Albanese in 1898.

The Military men: click for more

Antonio Nociti (1830-1879)

He was born in Spezzano Albanese in 1830. He studied as a lawyer in Naples. There he was associated with the group “Giovane Italia”. After the attack against King Ferdinando, Nociti was under threat of arrest by the Bourbon authorities so was forced to flee to Malta. He returned to Italy during the “Mille” expedition and enlisted as a volunteer with Garibaldi’s troops. He was promoted to the rank of captain and after the battle of Bezzecca became famous for his bravery. He was awarded a gold medal for his courage during the war. He died in Spezzano in 1879.

Giuseppe Angelo Nociti (1832 - 1899)

He was born in 1832 and he died in 1899. He was a man of great culture. He was a Latinist, an authority on Albania and its customs, a philologist and a literary Scholar. He wrote a lot of works and the most of them are handwritten. These works were lost or jealously guarded by some families of Spezzano. The most well-known are: Diario del 1898, owned by Bashkimi Kulturor Arbëresh; Storica descrizione di Spezzano Albanese fatta nel 1852, unpublished and owned by B. K. A.; Notiziario Spezzanese, unpublished and owned by B. K.; Platea da servire per la compilazione di una Storia del distretto o circondario di Spezzano Albanese, (1860), unpublished and owned by B. K.A.; Arte Poetica di Orazio tradotta in terza rima per la prima volta, Cosenza 1878; Orario Completo della Divina Commedia, Cosenza 1894.

Ferdinando Guaglianone (1843 - 1927)

He was born in 1843 and he died in 1927. He was a priest, a Catholic activist and a poet. He wrote many important works: Memorie di un conte calabrese Tommaso d’Aquino (1872); Poesie (1874); Rosalia (1878), Elogio Funebre di Pio IX il Grande (1878), Discorsi sul mese di Maria, II voll. (1885), Cari mesti ricordi (1890), Mariale quotidiano Serto di Laudi in onore di Maria S.S. (1894); Coroncina (1907.

Agostino Ribecco (1867 - 1928)

He was born in Spezzano Albanese in 1867 and he died in 1928. He was a famous doctor, a promoter of improvements regarding sanitation and general hygiene in the town and a poet. He also worked for Albanian independence. He wrote for many Albanian magazines of his time. He wrote the poetic work Shpirt and Zëmër (1907), a collection of poems, which was published under the title of Vjersha Malli.

Ferdinando CASSIANI (1878 - 1935)

He was a Lawyer and writer. He was born in Spezzano Albanese in 1878 and he died in 1935. As a young man he wrote for many magazines. He started “L’Albania Letteraria” in 1897. He wrote a eulogy in honour of Vincenzo Luci and another for Girolamo De Rada. He also composed a short poem entitled Brezia (1899) and two works entitled Spezzano Albanese nella tradizione e nella storia (1929) e Gli Spezzanesi nella rivoluzione Italiana (1927 in collaboration with of Luigi Cucci).

Giovanni RINALDI (1883 - 1960)

He was a lawyer. He was born in 1883 in Naples. He became a member of the Socialist party and was one of the founders of the Italian Communist party. He also became a member of the special committee set up in Spezzano after the fall of Fascism and then he took the place of Ambrogio Cassiani on 14 September 1943. He died in Spezzano Albanese in 1960.

Don Francesco GULLO (1886 / 1983)

He was born in 1886 and he died in 1983. He became archpriest of Spezzano Albanese in 1926. He was a poet and a prose writer of great culture and the founder member of the first bank of the town: “Cassa Rurale e Artigiana” in 1919. Thanks to his efforts, the church of Madonna delle Grazie was declared a Sanctuary in 1951.

Gennaro CASSIANI (1903-1978)

He was a lawyer specialising in penal law. He was born in 1903 and he died in 1978. He gave many lectures and for twelve years he directed a magazine called “Tribunali Calabresi”. During his busy lifetime he filled the following posts: Undersecretary of State to Public Works in 1944, member of parliament and senator, Undersecretary of the Treasury, Postmaster General, Minister of the Merchant Navy. Thirty-three laws carry his name. He devoted himself to monographic studies concerning the economic and social problems of Southern Italy.

He was born in Spezzano Albanese in 1912 and died in Rome in 2000. He was a teacher, headmaster and historian. He collected and preserved some documents concerning the history and the culture of the Italo-Albanians. He wrote for the magazines “Shêjzat” e “Katundi Ynë”, and for many national newspapers such as “L’Osservatore Romano”, “Il Tempo”, “Storia Illustrata”, “Calabria Letteraria”. His most well-known works are: Spezzano Albanese nelle vicende storiche sue e dell’Italia (1470-1945); Albania 8 settembre ’43-9 marzo 1944; I profughi dell’Albania verso l’Italia ospitale; L’Albania e la Santa Sede ai tempi di G. C. Scanderbeg.

Arcangelo BARBATI(1925 - 1999)

He was born in Spezzano Albanese in 1925 and died in 1999. He was a civil servant and President of the bank “Cassa Rurale ed Artigiana” in the town. He wrote for the cultural magazine “Calabria Letteraria”. He published: Immagini del passato (1982), Il romanzo della Madonna di Spezzano, Ionia e Per il borgo natio.

Home page