Albanians of Istria in 1655
“The Venetian Republic’s relations with the Turkish subjects of Bosnia and Herzegovina and especially with the Albanians, who, being of the Catholic religion, enjoyed its special protection, were close and extremely friendly. And in fact they had great need of it; because towards the end of the 18th century the oppression and persecutions of the Turks against the Raià had reached their peak. These unfortunates, supported by the arms of the Republic, tried several times to escape the harsh yoke, but in vain; so that once defeated and even more oppressed, there was only one salvation left for them: flight abroad.“
“We have more documents, which deal with this emigration; and it appears from them that the Venetian Republic was not at all averse to accepting these poor fugitives within its borders, while it tried to prevent any immigration to other states. This was more than just politics justifiable, if we bear in mind the miserable conditions of the Ottoman Empire and the opinion in force at the time, that power depended solely on the number of subjects.”
Albanian captain Nicolo Ceeltlina moving 400 Albanians to Istria
“A certain Captain Nicolò Ceeltlina, of Albanian nationality, wanting to demonstrate his devotion to the Venetian government, had decided to remove fifty families from Turkish Albania, forming a total of 400 individuals, and transport them to Istria under the protection of the Republic.”
“For this purpose he had also found a place located 12 Venetian miles from Fontane in Istria, which seemed suitable to him to establish the new colony. Before doing this he wanted to ensure the fate of his protégés and therefore addressed a memorial to the Superintendent General in Dalmatia and Albania Giovanni Antonio Zen (1655-1656).”
Captain Nicolò Cechlina finally promised to later lead an even greater number of Turkish subjects to the countries dominated by the Republic, if he was granted consent to the above conditions.”
Albanians migrating to Naples in 1675
“Already at the beginning of the year 1675 it was known to the Senate of Venice that Albanians were emigrating by sea to the kingdom of Naples, to take up permanent residence there and enlist in that army as soldiers. It was therefore ordered on the 18th M. R. parish priest of Peroj, Nicolò Popović, was kind enough to communicate to me extensive information on the history of his village, from which I take the following:“
Montenegrin-Albanian families of Kernicë
“Fifteen families (77 souls) of the Greek Orthodox rite, coming from Cernice, a village in Montenero, passed under the protection of the Republic of Venice in 1654. Under their leaders Michael Brajković and Archpriest Michael Ljubotina, these 15 families first settled in the surroundings of Piran; but the low fertility of the soil later pushed them towards their current home, where they founded the village of Peroj, between Dignano and Pula. The Venetian Senate with a decree of 21 July 1657 donated all the circus land.”
Provv. General Pietro Civran forcing fugitives to return
“May 1675 to the Provv. General Pietro Civran to send his galley accompanied by 4 or 6 galleys to the southern parts of the Adriatic, with the aim of visiting all the boats in navigation. Finding fugitives there who intended to enter the service of the King of Naples, they had to force them to return, making them disembark on the most convenient beaches, to return to their homes.”
Albanian fugitives in Naples
However, since at the end of May of the same year, the Venetian ambassador resident in Naples had communicated to his government the arrival of Albanian fugitives in those countries, to enlist in the militias, the Venetian Senate ordered Pietro Civran on 1 June 1675:
” … to investigate with dexterity and caution the number of people removed and the perpetrators of this inconvenience, trying with equal circumspection to avert its effect.”
Albanians moving to Trieste
The Senate adduced on this occasion, which it had always aimed to keep in its service that well-affected nation and to see that it is not transferred elsewhere.
“This order was repeated with a new decree of the same date; since it had become known later, through notices received from abroad, that many Albanians were thinking of moving to Trieste, to pass from there into the kingdom of Naples. Prov. Gen. Civran made the necessary inquiries and, according to the new settlers, he provided them with houses, food, seeds and country tools, and generally took every care to ensure that this colony of honest and active people flourished.”
“Regarding worship, the Venetian government allowed the new settlers to use the Greek church in Pola, dedicated to St. Nicholas, and severely opposed all illicit oppressions, which Catholic priests often allowed themselves. Just under the Austrian government a temple was built in the village itself.”
“I inform the Senate that the rumor spread that the Albancsi (Albanians) had passed into the service of the kingdom of Naples is false. However, it seems that he had not been well informed, since on 24 August 1675 the Senate sent his successor Marino Zorzi (August-October 1675) one of its ducal documents, and in it ordered him to investigate the importance of the news communicated by the Venetian ambassador of Naples in one of his letters about the Albanians. It will probably have been a new announcement of Albanian fugitives arriving in those parts, because the orders to scrupulously monitor the sea are renewed.
Where the fugitives Albanians?
“Here too the question arises: where did these fugitives come from, and were they really Albanians? It would be too risky to decide the question categorically; I will therefore limit myself to adducing my considerations, leaving the readers to make their own judgment.”
The Duke, on 17 July 1675, calls these bordering “Albanians”, therefore they were Turkish subjects and probably Albanians in the true sense of the word. The Duke, on 24 Aug. 1675, however, speaks of 4 companies to be sent to the Bocche di Cattarò, in order to prevent further desertion; which would lead us to suppose that the fugitives had been Bocchese Venetian subjects unless these militias had been intended to reinforce the crews of the warships that cruised in those waters. Be that as it may, we must note the concern of the Venetian government to prevent the fugitives from moving to foreign states, rather than within the borders of the Republic.”
Reference
Balkan Academia 