On February 23, 1848, the first newspaper in the history of the Albanian press, “L’albanese d’Italia” /The Albanian of Italy/, was published in Naples.

This periodical publication, which is regarded as the cornerstone of the national press, was published under the direction of one of the central personalities of the Albanian Renaissance of the nineteenth century, the Arbëresh writer Jeronim De Rada.

The newspaper, written mainly in Italian, served as a communication forum of political, social and cultural messages, in an effort to create and inform the public opinion of the Arbëresh community in Italy. To this purpose, in some of its issues, there were plenty news on the developments in Albania and the Balkan region published.

Jeronim De Rada, who enjoys the attributes of the “father” of Albanian journalism, in addition to the conception of the periodical, took full charge of carrying out every process foreseen up to the printing of the content. Later, he was assisted by a colleague, the student Nicola Castagna. Jeronim De Rada, the unique personality of the Arbëresh world, published in 1883 the first magazine in the Albanian language, “Fjamur i Arbrit” /Flag of Albania/.

/a.p./