Letër nga Skënderbeu për princin e Tarantos.

Perparimi Lun 21 Mai - 1:05

http://chameriashqiptare.blogspot.fr/2010/04/korrespodenca-e-letrave-mes-skenderbeut.html
Dërguar 24 shtator 2008 - 03:19 MD
XIV

Fushata e Skënderbeut n'Itali për t'i siguruar fronin mbretit Ferdinand të Napolit është një epizod jo më pak i lavdishëm i historisë së tij. Alfonsi V i Aragonës kishte vdekur më 1458. Djali i tij natyror, Ferdinandi, gjeti kundërshtime për të trashëguar fronin e Napolit, të cilin, përpara Alfonsit, e kishte pasur dinastia frënge e Angjevinëvet. Trashëgimtari i kësaj dinastie, princi René d'Anjou, i ndihmuar nga mbreti i Francës, Karli VII, u çua të kërkonte të drejtat e vjetra mbi fronin e Napolit. U bashkuan me të pjesa m'e madhe e banorëvet t'Italisë jugore duke u ngritur kundër Ferdinandit. Kryengritësit udhëhiqëshin nga princi i Tarantos, Giovanni Antonio Orsini, nga Duka i Kalabrisë, Jean d'Anjou, i biri i princit René, dhe nga kondottieri i famshëm Giacomo Piccinino. Kjo grindje e ndau Italinë në dy kampe. Në fillim, u tregua kundër Ferdinandit edhe Papa Kalisti III; por ky vdiq shpejt, dhe Piu II, që i zuri vendin, mori anën e mbretit të Napolit. Shtëpinë e Aragonës e përkrahte edhe Duka i Milanos, Francesco Sforza, i cili kishte qënë aliat i Alfonsit V. Kurse Venetiku dhe Firenca qëndruan asnjanës.
Natyrisht, Skënderbeu kishte interes që në fronin e Napolit të mbetej Shtëpia e Aragonës, me të cilën kishte miqësi dhe aliancë. Aq më fort kur këtu bashkohej edhe politika e Papës.
Por në të parat përpjekje me armë, sidomos në betejën që u bë në Sarno më 7 Korrik 1460, Ferdinandi u thye keqas. Një pjesë e banorëvet dhe e qytetevet që kishin qënë me të deri atëhere, e lanë dhe u bashkuan me anën kundërshtare. Në këtë kohë i erdhi ndihma e parë e Skënderbeut dhe, një vit më vonë, u hodh n'Itali ai vetë, i cili e këtheu krejt gjendjen.
Në Shtator të vitit 1460, Skënderbeu i dërgoi Ferdinandit një trupë prej nja 500 kalorësish të zgjedhur, ndoshta edhe disa këmbësorë, nën kumandën e Gjon Stres Balshës. Zbritjen e këtyre n'Itali ia lajmëron nga Napoli Dukës së Milanos ambasadori i tij, Antonio Da Trezzo, me një letër të datës 1 Tetor 1460. Kjo kalorësi, megjithëse e pakët në numër, e përmirësoi disi gjendjen e Ferdinandit dhe la nam nga shpejtësia e lëvizjevet. Kuajt e tyre kanë vrap të madh, tregon da Trezzo, dhe bëjnë me lehtësi 30 a 40 mila kur kalorësit italianë mezi bëjnë 10 a 12. Duket se me ndihmën e këtyre pak Shqiptarëve Ferdinandi i ripushtoi tokat nga Capua në Benevento, në javën e fundit të Tetorit, dhe mposhti disa baronë kryengritës. Se sa e shqetësoi anën kundërshtare kjo ndihmë e vogël Shqiptarësh dhe frika se mund të vinin ndihma të tjera siç po flitej, kuptohet nga letra që princi i Tarantos, Antonio Orsini, m'i fuqishmi nga armiqtë e Ferdinandit, i dërgonte Skënderbeut, më datën 10 Tetor 1460. Me fjalë të bukura lavdërimi dhe duke e quajtur "mik shumë të shtrenjtë", Antonio Orsini mundohet t'i mbushi mendjen Skënderbeut se çështja e Ferdinandit ishte e humbur, se shumicën e krerëvet dhe të popullit ai i kishte kundër, se ndihma e Shqiptarëvet s'mund t'a ndryshonte fatin e tij, se Skënderbeu ato forca, në vend që t'i rrezikonte kot, do të bënte më mirë t'i përdorte në luftën kundër Turqvet, se s'ishte e drejtë që të dërgonte njerëz për të dëmtuar tokat e këtij dhe të "mbretit" René d'Anjou, nga të cilët jo vetëm që s'kishte parë kurrë ndonjë të keqe po edhe mund të shpresonte përkrahje e përfitime më tepër nga ç'kish pasur prej mbretit t'Aragonës etj.

Miqte e mi, po ju postoj me poshte perkthimin e letres se te madhit Skenderbe derguar princit te Tarantos. Perkthimi eshte nje bujari e nje vajze te mrekullueshme shqiptare. Kuptohet qe nese letra do te ishte ne origjinal edhe perkthimi do te ishte me i vertete. Te perkthehet dicka dy here, natyrisht humbet. Une ne emrin tuaj e falenderoj kete zane shqiptare dhe i kurseni kritikat megjithese perkthimi mua me duket i perkryer me aq sa ofron:

Letër nga Skënderbeu për princin e Tarantos.
Nga Giorgo (Gjergji), zotëria e Shqipërisë, për Giovanni Antonio, Princi i Tarantos, përshëndetje.

Duke bërë një armëpushim me armikun e fesë time, nuk kam dashur që miku im të mbetet i mashtruar nga ndihma ime. Shpesh herë, Alfonso, babai i tij, më kërkonte ndihmë ndërkohë që zhvilloja luftën kundër turqve. Prandaj, do të isha shumë mosmirënjohës nëse unë vet nuk do të kisha përballuar shërbimin për djalin e tij. E mbaj mënd çfarë bëri mbreti juaj sepse tani nuk duhet të shoh se po i ndodh kjo djalit të tij.
Ju e adhuronit babain e tij, por pse tani doni të hidhni poshtë të birin? Nga erdhi kjo fuqi? Kush e ka fuqinë që të ngrejë në kurth mbretin e Sicilisë, ti apo Ponti romak?
Unë kam ardhur në ndihmë të Ferrantes, djalit të mbretit dhe të parit të Apostolikës. Kam ardhur të kundërshtoj pabesinë tuaj dhe tradhëtitë tuaja të panumërta e të mëdha ndaj kësaj mbretërie. A do të ndëshkohesh ndonjëherë për pabesitë e tua. Kjo është arsyeja e luftës sime kundër jush. Kjo luftë meriton të bëhet jo më pak se ajo kundra turqve, sepse edhe ti je turk po aq sa dhe ata. ... (ImperoccheÕ vi sono alcuni?) that guide you in a straight line not to be of some sect....
Ti je armik i francezëve dhe ata për fenë bënë një luftë të madhe.

Nuk dua te diskutoj çështje të vjetra me ty, çështje të cilat ishin shumë më pak të rëndësishmë sesa debati që është bërë për to. Sigurisht që në kohët tona, trupat Aragonese shpesh kanë ardhur në detin Egje, kanë plaçkitur brigjet turke, kanë kanë risjellë plaçkën e luftës së armikut dhe madje edhe sot ushtritë Aragonese e mbrojnë Trojën nga kthetrat e armikut. Pse mbaj mend të shkuarën dhe lë mënjanë të tashmen? Nëse ata i ndryshojnë zakonet e familjes...dhe bujqit e mbretërisë dhe mbretërit e bujqërve kthehen ...... Nuk do të gjesh fisnikëri më antike sesa virtyti. Nuk mund të mohoj që ti nuk je përkrah francezëve të neveritshëm, duke qënë krysisht në ndihmë të mbretit Alfons, ti i luftove francezët nga kjo mbretëri.

Unë nuk e di se çfarë virtyti i ri ndriçon në tërë këtë. Mbase është një yll i ri që ti ke parë tani tek francezët. Për më tepër ti përbuze njerëzit tanë. I krahasove shqiptarët me bagëtitë dhe duke u nisur nga zakonet tuaja mendon në një mënyrë fyese. Megjithëse nuk ke treguar se ke njohuri për kombin tim. Paraardhësit e mi kanë qënë nga epiri, vendi i Pirros, forcën e të cilit romakët mezi e duruan. Pirro, të cilin Taranto e shumë vende të tjera të Italisë e kanë frenuar me ushtri. Nuk kam pse të flas për epiriotët. Ata janë burra shumë më të fortë se sa Tarantinët tuaj, të cilët kanë lindur vetëm për të peshkuar.

Nëse doni të thoni se Shqipëria është pjesë e Maqedonisë do të pranoja se shumë nga paraardhësit tanë ishin fisnikë të cilët shkuan deri në Indi, nën komandën e Aleksandrit të Madh dhe mundën gjithë ata njerëz me vështirësi të habitshme. Pikërisht nga ata burra vijnë edhe këta që ti i quan bagëti sot. Por gjërat nuk kanë ndryshuar. Pasi burrat tuaj vazhdojnë të largohen duke vrapuar para bagëtisë.

Në të shkuarën shqiptarët kanë krijuar eksperiencë nësë Pugliese ishte e armatosur … (neÕ) I ëould again find some ëho ëould have been able to aspired to my nature …Unë kam dalluar mirë se sa shumë nga ushtarët tuaj janë të armatosur deri në dhëmbë por asnjëherë nuk kam qënë I aftë të dalloj helmetat e tyre e aq më pak fytyrat e tyre, përjashtuar ata që kemi burgosur. Nuk kërkoj shtëpinë tënde se me mjafton e imja. Pastaj, dihet mirë se ti zakonisht I qëllon fqinjët e tu për tu marrë pronat e tyre siç po bën tani, duke nxjerrë me forcë jashte mbretin nga shtëpia dhe mbretëria jote.

Nëse une mundem në detyrën e vështirë që kam marrë përsipër, do të varrosem siç ke dëshiruar në letrën tënde. Do të kthej shpirti tim si një shpërblim nga kryetari I universit, nga zoti. Dhe jo vetëm që do të kem perfeksionuar synimet e mia, por edhe do të kem planifikuar dhe tentuar disa akte të shquara.

Mirëupafshim

Mikut tim Sofra: Besoj qe do te mbetesh i kenaqur sepse ishe ti qe e kerkove kete perkthim per forumsat qe nuk e kupto
Gjyshi skenderbeut ishte martue me serbe.Baba i skenderbeut ishte martuar me serbe.Dhe vete skenderbeu ishte martue me Doniken,nje femer nga mali zi me origjine serbe.Por edhe i biri i skenderbeut u martue me vajzen e mbretit Llazar Brankoviqit.Skenderbeu erdhi ne shqiperi me urdherin e sulltanit dhe vatikanit qe ti prej shqiptaret musliman.Skenderbeu ne itali kishte 12 keshtjella e ne shqiperi vetem nje.Bane mend kush eshte ky qen bir shkines.Ka shkuar ne itali e ka luftue kundra italianeve,duke shti luften vellavrasese te italianeve e vendin e tij e linte vetem ,me qellim qe turqit ti vrasin vellezrit te krishter.
Kush e perkrah skenderbeun ka gjak shkines.jne anglishten.

Perparimi Jeu 24 Mai - 0:38

Zotri
qetina artikullit

A anglezet e paskan shkrue historin e skenderbeut dhe italise?
As italian nuk paska patur qe ta shkruain sadopakes nje te tille ?
Arruganca e pakufishme .
The letter to Skanderbeg:
Giovanni Antonio, Prince of Taranto, to Georgia Albanese, greeting.
(Conveniva a te?), that the luck you had shown in the war with the enemies of the Christian religion, which sometimes had forced combat, then leaving that field, you came to Italy to drive your armies against Christians? What cause do you hold against me? What have I done against you? What controversies do they make between us?
You have spoiled my territories and are crudely giving vent against my subjects, and first you have (mosso?) the war that (proposta?). You boast that you are a great warrior for the Christian religion and (pur?) yet you persecute this (geate?) which for every reason is called Christianity. You have turned your iron against the French of the Kingdom of Sicily. Perhaps you have thought to take the army against the effeminate Turks that you are accustomed to wounding in the back.
You will find other men who all support your proud appearance (?) and no one will avoid your face. Our Italian soldiers will challenge you very well and have no fear of the Albanese. We already know your generation and respect the Albanese like sheep, and it is an embarrassment to have such cowardly people for enemies; (ne?) would you have embarked on such a business if you had stayed to dwell in your house.
You have avoided the onslaught of the Turks, and not having the power to defend your own house, have thought to invade other peopled s. You are deceitful. Instead of a new house you are looking for your grave.
Goodbye......

Letter from Skanderbeg to the Prince of Taranto:
Giorgio, gentleman of Albania, to Giovanni Antonio, Prince ofTaranto, greeting.
Having made a truce with the enemy of my religion I have not wanted that my friend remain (fraudato) of my aid. (Spesse?) times, Alfonso, his father, invited my help while I waged war against the Turks. Therefore I would be very ungrateful if I had not resisted (lOistesso?) service to his son. I remember what your king did because now (non deve vedere succedergli?) this who is his son? You adored his father, and why now do you try to throw out his son? Where did this power come from? Who has the power to setup the King of Sicily, you or the Roman Pontiff?
I came to aid Ferrante, son of the king and seat of the Apostolica. I came opposing your unfaithfulness and innumerable great betrayals in this kingdom. (Ned?) will you ever be unpunished for your perjury. This is the reason for my war against you. I merit this no less than I merited making war against the Turks, nor are you less Turk than them. (Imperocche vi sono alcuni?) that guide you in a straight line not to be of some sect. You my opponents the French and the names of those people, and those for the religion wage grand war.
I do not want to dispute ancient matters with you, matters that perhaps were much less than what was told about them. Certainly in our times the Aragonese armadas have often coursed the Aegean Sea, have plundered the Turkish coasts, have (riportata?) the prey of the enemies; and even today the Aragonese armies defend Trojafrom the jaws of the enemy. Why do I remember the old things and leave the new parts? If they change the family costumes and the plowmen of the kingdom, and the kings of the plowmen return? (Ne troverai nobilita piu antica della virtu.)
Nor can I deny that you are not with the obnoxious French nation, (imperocche) you being mainly in aid of King Alfonso, you hunted the French of this kingdom. I do not know now what new virtue shines in this. Perhaps it is some new star that you have now seen among the French?
Moreover, you scorned our people, and compared the Albanese to sheep, and according to your custom think of us with insults. Nor have you shown yourself to have any knowledge of my race. My elders were from Epirus, where this Pirro came from, whose force could scarcely support the Romans. This Pirro, who Taranto and many other places of Italy held back with armies.
I do not have to speak for the Epiroti. They are very much stronger men than your Tarantini, a species of wet men who are born only to fish. If you want to say that Albania is part of Macedonia I would concede that a lot more of our ancestors were nobles who went as far as India under Alexander the Great and defeated all those peoples with incredible difficulty. From those men come these who you called sheep. But the nature of things is not changed. Why do your men run away in the faces of sheep?
In the past the Albanese have (fatto?) experience if the Pugilese were armed; (neO) I would again find some who would have been able to aspired to my nature. I have well noted from the back how many of your soldiers are well armed but have never been able to see their helmets or (tanpoco?) the face except those that have become prisoners. (NeO?) I seek your house (Bastandomi?) my own. Besides, it is well known that you often would have shot your neighbors for their possessions, as now you would force out the king of your house and your kingdom.
(Che se?) If I fall in the difficult task I have embarked on I will be buried as (mivai?) wishing in your letter, will bring back my soul as a reward from the Chancellor of the universe, of God. Not only will I have perfected my intention, but also I will have planned and attempted some distinguished deed.
Good bye....

http://historum.com/medieval-byzantine-history/52141-scanderbeg-greek-albanian-12.html

Perparimi Lun 24 Juil - 0:02

Title: Skanderbeg's Letter to Prince of Taranto

ILIR - June 11, 2006 08:39 PM (GMT)
Part 5 - SKANDERBEG EXPEDITION IN ITALY

(fn1)........�As soon as the storm ceased (fn2) the fleet turned its course again toward Italy. A favorable wind filled their sails, and the following day at the first rays of the sun the coast of Puglia and a very high mountain appeared. It was the part of Italy that stretches out along the Adriatic. It is Puglia that divides it in two parts. one Greek and the other Italian, and it includes Mount Gargano too. Skanderbeg, knew that Mount Gargano (Mount S. Angelo) was noted for the appearance of Saint Michele shouting out �God be praised�. Ahead, the warlike Archangel was in such great credit, that the prince (Skanderbeg) kneeled, imploring his intercession to God that he would have success in his undertaking.

When the fleet landed, Skanderbeg sent men out to scout the land. Informed by his courriers that the enemy was not far away, they re-boarded their ships and set sail for Bari. It was just in time because Ferdinand had been cornered by the Duke of Angio and the famous Count Piccinino and had no alternative except to surrender or be taken by the sword of the hand. But at the happy appearance of Skanderbeg�s ships he and his forces hastily pulled back ten (leghe?). Then free, Ferdinand went to meet with Skanderbeg. The meeting was quite affectionate, and after the first effusion of mutual recognition, the two princes set out together toward Bari.

All along the way people rushed up eagerly to gaze at the hero Skanderbeg whose name was so renowned. The air resounded with their acclamation mixed with the roar of artillery that had been brought up to form a field of operations. The question was whether to set it up around Bari or near Abruzzi where they could open a passage way so that confederates Ferdinand expected could join them, and they could advance at the head of a re-united force against the enemy. This last opinion prevailed.

Leaving a garrison in the city, the rest of the army left with provisions for five days. Favored by deep darkness, passing near the enemy, the enemy did not attack them. When they arrived in Abruzzo they threw themselves down unexpectedly on the guard posts, which, after (di avere dispersi, si mise) in communication with allied generals Frederico d�Urbino and Allesandro Sforza. Thus having re-united all their forces, they set up a position near Ursara, a small town in Puglia loyal to Ferdinand.

Learning that Count Piccinino was heading for Bari, Skanderbeg and his Albanese soldiers took responsibility for this expedition. They had scarcely arrived there when the enemy appeared, but without starting any action. Days passed with skirmishes and despite the fact that the albanesi were outnumbered, they always were victorious. A battle was inevitable and, doubtful of the outcome, Piccinino asked to see Skanderbeg. This (non si fece) to wait, and separated from the troops the two leaders met in a place that was open on all sides.

When Piccinino, who was thin and small in stature saw the athletic figure (fn3) of his enemy Skanderbeg in front of him he was disconcerted and was silent for a few moments. When he recovered from his excitement/emotion the wily Count entered into a discussion of the matter at hand. (A sentirelo), thanks to his (whose??) skills and mysterious ways, the Kingdom of Naples soon would be assured to Ferdinand; and the Duke of Angio� and the French would have to withdraw. And since settling such an important question as this required much time, it was agreed that they would meet again the following day, Piccinino proposing a temporary postponement of fighting between the two armies that soon would be only one.

The following day Skanderbeg and the fair and honest aAbanesi set out to the meeting with only seven cavalry men. On the way they met a soldier from the enemy camp who, charmed by the admiration that Skanderbeg inspired in all good people, revealed that the road ahead of them was sown with traps, and that if they continued on they would fall into the hands of the enemy. Skanderbeg ordered a platoon of cavalry to reconnoiter and they confirmed the soldier�s story. Indignant at such treachery, Skanderbeg resolved to punish Piccinino the next day. His officers and soldiers shared his resentment.

After this Piccinino wanted less than ever to risk battle with troops so angry and fanatic, so that night he set out in the direction of Lucera. Calculating the advantage that the enemy had over him, Skandereg decided not to pursue him. Instead, he took his army to Ursara again where Ferdinand waited for him with the Italian division. It was there that the great battle took place on 18 August 1461.

Six leagues separated Ursara from Lucera, and although Mount Sejano (fn4) and the city of Troja (Troia) were between them, the armies soon would find themselves against each other. The mountain became the strategic point. Piccinino wanted to take possession of it, but Skanderbeg had already anticipated that and took control of it. Piccinino positioned all his artillery at the head of the battle corps that stretched out on three lines. Skanderbeg and Ferdinand drew up their army, all Albanese and Italian infantry, into two lines.

The Albanese-Italian army hurled itself onto the enemy, and the impetuosity of their attack was such that Piccinino�s artillery had no time to fire. As it began to recover from the first attack, a strong Albanese charge scattered it. Skanderbeg, the Duke of Angio� and Piccinino fought fiercely for victory, and as the artillery tried to escape it found itself attacked from all sides. Pursued, the Duke of Angio� made it to the walls of Troja and would have been taken prisoner if the inhabitants there had not hauled him inside with the help of a rope. After that he left for Genoa and embarked for France.

After the victory, Ferdinand, together with Skanderbeg, set out straight for Naples where without any difficulty he was proclaimed King with the enthusiastic support of all the cities of the Kingdom of Naples. Only one city in Puglia,Trani, continued to resist, because the governor, Fusiani, had been profitting by the absence of Ferdinand and did not give up his power. But he was alienated by Skanderbeg and even this city came to recognize Ferdinand as its king.

The albanese army stayed in Italy for a year. The war won and Ferdinand restored to the throne, Skanderbeg thought about leaving. The great prey of Constantinople, or rather his wish to quench the thirst of the insatiable Sultan Maometto, had him greatly irritated. Master of the Morea, the Turkish sultan had conquered all of the Greek continent, from many of the archipeligo islands to Serbia. With all its struggles Albania could still respect itself, content that its hero Skanderbeg would live to keep the faith of its forefathers alive and to make the country free.

When Skanderbeg announced that he wanted to return to Albania the King Ferdinand showed his deep gratitude in the presence of his entire court, and afterwards overwhelmed him with gifts of land including the cities of Trani, Monte Gargano and S. Giovanni Rotondo. These three cities of Puglia one day might become valuable as a refuge in the event that Skanderbeg finally had to succumb to the implacable conflict against the Turks. (fn5)�

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FOOTNOTES - Part 5:

(fn1) This entire Part 5 was originally written in French by Pagnel, a writer in the XV century in his publication entitled �THE TURKS AND THE HISTORY OF SKANDERBEG�. [NOTE: It was translated into Italian (perhaps by Conforti?) and then I translated this draft from Italian to English. - Dick Vara, 1997]

(fn2) After the death of Alphonso I of Aragon, Ferdinand his natural son claimed the crown by virtue of a will. But several ambitious princes formed an alliance to drive him from the throne, offering the Kingdom of Naples to the Duke of Angio�. In vain pope Pio II tried to convince them to abandon such an unjust undertaking.

Ferdinand, seeing that he was unable to resist the fury of his enemies with his own forces, decided to call for the help of a friend of his father, the Albanese hero George Castriota Skanderbeg. He sent a letter asking for help on 31 October 1450. Skanderbeg at once arranged to make an agreement with the Turks so as not to leave his state without defense and his subjects exposed to their inroads, sack and plunder. Pretending that he was annoyed by the war, he finally accepted the truce that Maometto II (Murad II?) had proposed to him for many years. Leaving the princess, his consort, as state regent, he went down to Ragusa where with the Neopolitan navy (mise?) in march toward Italy.

According to contemporary historians the army that Skanderbeg led to Italy to aid Ferdinand of Aragon, numbered up to about seventy-two hundred infantry soldiers and another twenty-two hundred cavalry, made up of chosen and experienced soldiers who were accustomed to victory.

As proof of the rudeness in the hearts of the baronial conspirators against Skanderbeg and his Albanese, here is a letter full of distortions that the Prince of Taranto wrote to Skanderbeg; and the dignified answer given by the Albanese hero.

The letter to Skanderbeg:

�Giovanni Antonio, Prince of Taranto, to Georgio albanese, greeting.

(Conveniva a te?), that the luck you had shown in the war with the enemies of the Christian religion, which sometimes had forced combat, then leaving that field, you came to Italy to drive your armies against Christians? What cause do you hold against me? What have I done against you? What controversies do they make between us?

You have spoiled my territories and are crudely giving vent against my subjects, and first you have (mosso?) the war that (proposta?). You boast that you are a great warrior for the Christian religion and (pur?) yet you persecute this (geate?) which for every reason is called Christianity. You have turned your iron against the French of the Kingdom of Sicily. Perhaps you have thought to take the army against the effeminate Turks that you are accustomed to wounding in the back.

You will find other men who all support your proud appearance (?) and no one will avoid your face. Our Italian soldiers will challenge you very well and have no fear of the Albanese. We already know your generation and respect the Albanese like sheep, and it is an embarrassment to have such cowardly people for enemies; (ne�?) would you have embarked on such a business if you had stayed to dwell in your house.

You have avoided the onslaught of the Turks, and not having the power to defend your own house, have thought to invade other people�s. You are deceitful. Instead of a new house you are looking for your grave.

Goodbye......�

Letter from Skanderbeg to the Prince of Taranto:

�Giorgio, gentleman of Albania, to Giovanni Antonio, Prince of Taranto, greeting.

Having made a truce with the enemy of my religion I have not wanted that my friend remain (fraudato) of my aid. (Spesse?) times, Alfonso, his father, invited my help while I waged war against the Turks. Therefore I would be very ungrateful if I had not resisted (l�istesso?) service to his son. I remember what your king did because now (non deve vedere succedergli?) this who is his son? You adored his father, and why now do you try to throw out his son? Where did this power come from? Who has the power to set up the King of Sicily, you or the Roman Pontiff?

I came to aid Ferrante, son of the king and seat of the Apostolica. I came opposing your unfaithfulness and innumerable great betrayals in this kingdom. (Ne�?) will you ever be unpunished for your perjury. This is the reason for my war against you. I merit this no less than I merited making war against the Turks, nor are you less Turk than them. (Imperocche� vi sono alcuni?) that guide you in a straight line not to be of some sect. You my opponents the French and the names of those people, and those for the religion wage grand war.

I do not want to dispute ancient matters with you, matters that perhaps were much less than what was told about them. Certainly in our times the Aragonese armadas have often coursed the Aegean Sea, have plundered the Turkish coasts, have (riportata?) the prey of the enemies; and even today the Aragonese armies defend Troja from the jaws of the enemy. Why do I remember the old things and leave the new parts? If they change the family costumes and the plowmen of the kingdom, and the kings of the plowmen return? (Ne� troverai nobilita� piu� antica della virtu�.)

Nor can I deny that you are not with the obnoxious French nation, (imperocche�) you being mainly in aid of King Alfonso, you hunted the French of this kingdom. I do not know now what new virtue shines in this. Perhaps it is some new star that you have now seen among the French?

Moreover, you scorned our people, and compared the Albanese to sheep, and according to your custom think of us with insults. Nor have you shown yourself to have any knowledge of my race. My elders were from Epirus, where this Pirro came from, whose force could scarcely support the Romans. This Pirro, who Taranto and many other places of Italy held back with armies.

I do not have to speak for the Epiroti. They are very much stronger men than your Tarantini, a species of wet men who are born only to fish. If you want to say that Albania is part of Macedonia I would concede that a lot more of our ancestors were nobles who went as far as India under Alexander the Great and defeated all those peoples with incredible difficulty. From those men come these who you called sheep. But the nature of things is not changed. Why do your men run away in the faces of sheep?

In the past the Albanese have (fatto?) experience if the Pugilese were armed; (ne�) I would again find some who would have been able to aspired to my nature. I have well noted from the back how many of your soldiers are well armed but have never been able to see their helmets or (tanpoco?) the face except those that have become prisoners. (Ne�?) I seek your house (Bastandomi?) my own. Besides, it is well known that you often would have shot your neighbors for their possessions, as now you would force out the king of your house and your kingdom.

(Che se?) If I fall in the difficult task I have embarked on I will be buried as (mi vai?) wishing in your letter, will bring back my soul as a reward from the Chancellor of the universe, of God. Not only will I have perfected my intention, but also I will have planned and attempted some distinguished deed.

Good bye....�

(fn3) - Piccinino was very small in stature, and when they met, Skanderbeg took him by his arms and lifted him in the air like a child.

(fn4) - With reference to the place where they had the above mentioned battle, the eminent (arr.?) Terlizzi gave me the following: �Referring to the battles of 1461 in which the angioini were trying to regain the Kingdom of Naples, I have not been able to learn if in (agro?) of Troja there is a place called Mount Sejano, where according to Paganel (from whom you have received the piece of information) the rout of the Angioni took place; but I would have to believe that it referred to mount Magliano or Montemaggiore which are two vast holdings in the territory of Orsara, exactly half way on the road toward Troja. Most likely it was mount Magliano because I remember reading that one of the armies was camped onVerditello, which is a separate mountain that dominates the road between Orsara and Troja near Magliano and Montemaggiore.

Besides, Lago di sangue, near Terrastrutta (Ripalonga), as we know, is found below Crepacore at the beginning of the Sannoro river. It�s name certainly indicates that there had to be some fighting here. But this happened in 1461 and I indicated the extermination of the angioini already beaten and put to flight. Or perhaps it refers to yet another defeat of the angioini that took place twenty years earlier when Alfonso I of Aragon defeated the last resistance by his adversaries in Orsara and assured the conquest of the Kingdom of Naples? Or not referring to this but rather to some other even more ancient encounter between armies?

Professor Flammia in his history of the city of Ariano, on page 117, says that a concave place near Castiglione is called Lago di sangue because in 1461 Ferdinand of Aragon came to hunt for Giovanni of Angio� of Orsara, followed him and caught up with him here, slaughtered his enemy so much that blood ran in a (fossatello?) and remained for a long time as a horrible spectacle for visitors.

However this version recorded by Flammia is unlikely or at least greatly exaggerated. At the end, I remember that the first battle in which the angioini were beaten mainly by the operations of Skanderbeg and the Albanese, had took place at Mount Arato which is a hill situated between Lucera and Troja.

(fn5) - To honor Skanderbeg, who in restoring the legitimate sovereign to the throne, restored peace in all of Italy, the Pope came to Naples accompanied by various princes and offered him riches and grand gifts. Several European countries promised to cooperate with him and send large armies to help him fight the Ottomans, but unfortunately the western peoples had faint enthusiasm for the (prischi?) crusaders, and after the death of its hero Skanderbeg, Albania still fell under the subjugation of the Turks.

Returning to Rome, the Pope was accompanied by Skanderbeg to whom he granted as a gift a palace on the side of the Quirinale on the road that still today carries the name of �via Skanderbeg�. Today everyone can admire a magnificent portrait of the Albanian hero engraved and well preserved on the pediment of this palace, in the wall at the top of the entrance.

At the same time, the above mentioned pontiff, not being able to offer anything else, gave him ten thousand shields for the cause of his country. Skanderbeg returned them to him courteously however, thanking him and suggesting that with the money he might say a mass for the walled-in Albanese.

It is also recorded that when Skanderbeg left Naples he left his sword there on the hilt of which is inscribed his portrait. It is still preserved in the royal palace of Capodemonte along with the swords of Charles V and Ettore Fieromosca .

Skanderbeg died in 1467 and was buried in the S. Nicolo� Church in Alessio. However, this church was transformed into a mosque by the Turks who, (per altro?) (ne facero?) of the talisman, believe that in the bones of this hero, like in the hair of Sansone, was reposed a divine force.

Translation Draft by Dick Vara - 4/12/97

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