The Academy of Sciences today commemorated Zef Krispi, also known as Giuseppe Crispi, on the anniversary of his death. He was a bishop, Hellenist and professor at the University of Palermo, and one of the 19th-century Arbëresh scholars who devoted their work to Albanian language, history and culture.
Born in 1781 in Palazzo Adriano, Sicily, Krispi became one of the leading figures of the Arbëresh community on the island. He was also among the early scholars to highlight the ancient origins of the Albanian language.
In his 1831 study, “Albanian, Mother of Languages,” published in Palermo, Krispi argued that Albanian had close links with ancient languages, including those associated with the Pelasgians and ancient Macedonians. His ideas later influenced other Arbëresh writers and contributed to the intellectual climate that preceded the Albanian National Renaissance.
Krispi also studied the history and traditions of the Arbëresh communities in Sicily. He was among the first 19th-century scholars to write about Gjon Buzuku’s “The Mess” and published a fragment of the work.
His research also extended to folklore. Krispi collected Albanian folk songs from the Arbëresh communities of Sicily and passed them on to an Italian folklorist, who published them in 1857.
Through his studies of language, history and folklore, Zef Krispi helped preserve and promote Albanian cultural heritage among the Arbëresh communities of Sicily.
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