Marin Barleti

Barleti Marin (Latin Marinus Barletius; Italian Marino Barlezio; * 1450 in Shkodra, † 1512 or 1513 probably in Rome) was a Catholic cleric and humanist, and the only major historian of Albania at the time of the Renaissance.

Life

About the Youth Barletis nothing is known. 1474 and 1478 he took part in defending his hometown against Ottoman besiegers.

As Shkodra is captured a year later by the Ottomans, he flees to Italy. There he wrote several historical works in Latin. Most important is his biography of Skanderbeg ( Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis ) which is printed 1506-1510 in Rome. This book broadly disseminated and translated into many European languages, including in 1533 and into German.

Fame

Barletis Skanderbeg Biography is still one of the most important sources on the life of the Albanian national hero. In Germany alone, the font during the 16th and 17th centuries was reprinted more than a dozen times.

The Public Library of Shkodra and publishing were named after Marin Barleti.

Work

• Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis. Rome before 1510 German edition: Of all streytparsten and theuresten Prince and Lord Georgen Castrioten, called Scanderbeg ... chivalrous deeds. In Latin beschriben and now verteutscht newlich By Joannem Pinicianum. Augsburg 1533