TIRANA, November 19 – Jeronim De Rada was born on November 19, 1814, in the small village of Macchia Albanese in Calabria. He attended the San Benedeto Ullanos College and studied law at the University of Naples. In 1836, at age 22, he published his first book, ‘Këngët e Milosaos’ (Milosao’s Songs).

Milosao’s Songs tells a historical tale in Albanian. In 1866, De Rada reached the peak of his literary work with ‘Këngët e Milosaos’ (Milosao’s Songs), published in Florence. The book contains Albanian rhapsodies that he collected from colonies in Calabria and Naples. These songs traveled orally for four centuries through the Arbëresh community.

De Rada then laid the foundation of Albanian press with the periodical L’Albanese D’Italia (The Albanian of Italy). In 1840, he published the poem Serafina Topia, a hymn to Albanian unity. Between 1847 and 1848, he released ‘Rrëfimet e Arbrit’ (Arbër Tales), a collection of four romantic novellas. Later works include ‘Parimet e estetikës’ (Principles of Aesthetics) (1861), ‘Lashtësia e kombit shqiptar’ (The Antiquity of the Albanian Nation) (1864), and ‘Rapsodi e një poeme arbëreshe’ (Rhapsody of an Arbëresh Poem) (1866).

He married Madalena Melkji in 1850 and had four sons. Despite family tragedies, including the deaths of his wife and children, De Rada continued his literary activity. During this time, he wrote the poem ‘Skënderbeu i pafat’ (Unlucky Skanderbeg). He died on February 28, 1903, at the age of 88.

/a.p./