by Lorena Tota

Summary

The encyclopedia describes the Albanians as the inhabitants of a region historically broader than what classical authors called Macedonian Albania, extending across much of Epirus and parts of Dardania and neighboring areas. It notes that after the Ottoman conquest, some Albanians migrated to Italy and Venetian-controlled islands, while many remained under Ottoman rule. The entry emphasizes that Albanians were widely known in Europe for their military skill and bravery, often serving as light troops or mercenaries—referred to as “Albanois”—in various European armies.

Pierre Larousse in 1866

In the Grand Dictionnaire Universel du XIXe siècle, Pierre Larousse defines the Albanians as the inhabitants of a country « more extensive than the Macedonian Albania of the ancients, » specifying that it includes « almost all of Epirus and a part of Dalmatia and Dardania. » The entry further explains that after the Ottoman conquest some Albanians withdrew to Italy and to the islands under Venetian rule, while those who remained under Ottoman authority were valued for their bravery.

Indeed, the encyclopedia notes that « Albanians are recognized as very good soldiers, » and were successfully employed as light troops under the name Albanois. Thus, in this major nineteenth-century scholarly work, Macedonian Albania appears both as a historical space encompassing Epirus, Dardania, and part of Dalmatia, and as the homeland of a people widely renowned in Europe for their military valor.

Reference

Larousse, Pierre (ed.). Grand Dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle. Paris: Administration du Grand Dictionnaire Universel, 1866–1876, article “Albanais / Albanie.”