The Arbëresh of Sicily target Albanian tourism with centuries-old festivals and traditions

2026-05-10 12:47:00, Aktualitet CNA

The Arbëresh of Sicily target Albanian tourism with centuries-old festivals

The Arbëresh towns near Palermo, Italy, have increased the number of activities throughout the year, in an effort to attract as many tourists as possible, mainly Albanians from Albania and Kosovo.

Local authorities have also been supported by local residents, who, in addition to opening new jobs, are restoring the traditions of their ancestors, settled on the Italian peninsula 5-6 centuries ago.

Residents and leaders of five Arbëresh towns in western Sicily believe that establishing two "low-cost" airlines from Tirana and Pristina to Palermo would enable direct travel.

Roberto Ferrara, an Italian activist in support of the Albanian cause, told BIRN that the current airline from Tirana only connects with Catania, about three hours away from Palermo and the nearby Albanian towns.

“I travel to Tirana several times a year and the drive from Palermo to Catania airport takes longer,” added Roberto, who regularly participates in the parties organized by “Hora Arbëreshe” in Piana degli Albanesi.

The town of 6,200 inhabitants, about 25 kilometers from the capital of Sicily, has already created a good name for its hospitality and for the patriotic and religious festivals it organizes 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 feast of Saint George, the town’s patron saint, in April,” Piana’s mayor, Rosario Peta, told BIRN.

According to him, Albanian tourists have shown great interest in visiting the Skanderbeg monument, located in the main square two years ago.

Mayor Peta, also a member of the Diaspora Coordination Council, said that this council has supported the public request for airline services from Tirana and Pristina to Palermo, which according to him will give a new impetus to tourism towards Arbëresh towns.

The Arbëresh are the descendants of Albanians who settled in Southern Italy between the 15th and 16th centuries, mainly after the death of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg and the Ottoman conquest of Albanian lands.

Concentrated mainly in Sicily, Calabria and other regions of southern Italy, they have preserved the Arbëresh language, the Byzantine rite, traditional costumes and Albanian cultural customs for more than five centuries.

Arbëresh communities are today 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.

Dhimitër Stefa, a singer from Durrës, told BIRN that he participated in one of the local festivals, “where together with other colleagues from Albania we were amazed by the organization and the characteristic costumes of the local women and girls.”

Veli Berisha, a Kosovar engineer in Bern, Switzerland, continues to frequently visit Piana degli Albanesi, just like during the period when funds were collected for the construction of the Skanderbeg monument by sculptor Gëzim Muriqi.

“We feel at home,” Berisha, one of the leaders of “Skënderbeg Hour,” told BIRN, emphasizing that an airline from Pristina would serve mutual recognition between Albanians and Arbëresh.

Like the 43-year-old Kosovar, Giorgio Cuccia, an activist for the promotion of the Arbëresh town, told BIRN that during the year 6-7 festivals with wide participation are scheduled in the squares and theater of Piana. One of them, as an annual celebration, is dedicated to the day of the town's foundation, on August 30, 1488.

Almost in the same period, other Arbëresh towns were formed in the western part of Sicily: Santa Cristina Gela, Contessa Entellina, Mezzojuso and Palazzo Adriano.

Together with the Arbëresh living in Palermo, the total number of Arbëresh in this area exceeds 30 thousand inhabitants.

Palazzo Adriano has also gained fame due to the filming of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso by director Giuseppe Tornatore.

Even in this town, tourist visits are frequent, while the festival calendar in the city's main square remains rich throughout the year," concluded Giaccomo Cuccia, president of the "Skënderbeu" club./reporter