Zef Skiroi (Hora e Arbëreshëvet [Piana degli Albanesi], 10 August 1865 — Naples, 17 February 1927) stood out as a leading Arbëresh cultural figure. He worked as a poet, linguist, folklorist, ethnographer, journalist, and publicist.

Moreover, he joined Gavril Dara and Jeronim De Rada. Together, they form the triptych of Arbëresh poetry in Albanian Romantic literature.

At nine, he wrote a poem to Skanderbeg. That early poem launched his literary path. Later, he studied at the Albanian Seminary of Palermo. There, Albanian cultural tradition and classical literature shaped him. These influences included Dante, Cervantes, Goethe, and Schiller.

In 1887, he co-founded the magazine Arbëri i Ri (New Arbëria) in Palermo with Françesk Peta. Also that year, he published his first poetry collection. He earned a law degree in 1890. Then, Palermo’s Garibaldi Lyceum named him “docent” of ancient literature.

He placed the national question at the centre of his work. Accordingly, Arbëri i Ri acted as an identity compass for the Arbëresh and as a platform for their writers. At 35, he assumed the Chair of Albanian Language and Literature at the Royal Oriental Institute of Naples.

His main work, Te dheu i huaj (In a Foreign Land), won praise from Eqrem Çabej, who called it a kind of national anthem for Albanians in Italy. He continued his Albanological activity in Naples through publications, lectures, and participation in conferences. His notable works include Mili e Hajdhia, Te dheu i huaj (In a Foreign Land), and Mino.

Finally, Zef Skiroi died in Naples in 1927.

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