Gjergj Kastrioti

  By oltjon dulaj, 29-03-2007; Revised
The family of the Castriota was of noble Christian traditions, a lot known in the Republic of Venice. With the Dukagini, the Araniti, the Thopia, the Musaqi, the Baleha, the Spano, the Koia-Zaccaria, the Spata, the Zenebisi and the Gropa, then represented the chaste more powerful feudale of Albania. The citadel of Croia (in Kruja Albanian) was the understood one them of the feudo that it extended through the dominions of Petrella, Petralba, Stellusio and Sfetigrado. Giovanni Castriota, the father of our Hero, was courageous combatant of bloody fights against the Turks. In order to consolidate and to defend its possedimenti he tightened friendship with the Most serene one that in 1413 it conferred the title hereditary it of “veneziano citizen”. Four years after professò even vassallo. For the long and debilitating fight against the armies of the Mezzaluna he was forced to ask the being consisted Republic of Venice aids. These were not but sufficient to stop the by now next Ottomans to conquer its feudo. Also the Republic of Ragusa and the Church of Rome it came encounter, but with insufficient it turns out to you. The Turk by now had encircled the possedimenti and to Giovanni Castriota he did not remain other to make that to come down to pacts with the Sultano Murat II, which obligated it to the payment of a fort pays and to the delivery of its four sons like hostages. A lot second happened the customs of the Turkish conquerors. Giovanni Castriota was father of nine sons of which five were females. The males called George, Costantino, Stanisha and Reposhi. The daughters went spouses to Albanian feudatari: Mamiza to Musaqi Tophia, Angela to Paul Belcha, Angelina to Vladam Araniti, Vlaica to Gin Musaqi and Maria to Stefano Cernovich of the Montenegro. George, according to the Barlezio (Historia de Life ET Gestis Scanderbegi, Epirotarum principis), was taken in hostage from the Turks to the age of nine years. The date is somewhat controversial. From the Turks it the name of Scanderbeg (Iskander was tax = Alexander and bey = getlteman). Near the historical Museum of Vienna it is conserved sword datagli from the Sultano for its feats in army camp and that door a recording in Turk “To the valoroso Scanderbeg”. It begins therefore for George a new age, a parenthesis that far away holds it from its earth, a period that in a short time sees it to grow under all the aspects. The sultano Murat II decided that a solid education to the aim of being able was given to it to assign it in a commando place. iorgio it exceeded every attended prevailing on all the other principles of the court for its courage and intelligence in the war art. Divenne very soon one of the most powerful swords of the Islam and had the nomination of sangiacco-bey. While in Albania, while people suffered the tyranny, the reputation of the Castriota young person reached and it was begun to hope of a its return in native land. Emissaries of its family secretly caught up it in the headquarters of the sultano and they informed it of the dramatic situation of the Albanians. The young person George did not remain insensitive to the appeal remembering itself of being son of Albania and for more a catholic Christian. The decision to return in native land the taken ones after to have known of the dead women of the father. In 1443 Murat II Giovanni Hunjadi to Nissa (Nish was defeated from the condottiero Hungarian) and that carried a sure sideslip in the entire one armed Turkish. Scanderbeg, being useful for the disorder in order to place in being its plan, assembled manipulates of trusts soldiers, nearly all Albanians, and together to the Hamza grandson, dileguò quickly from the field. And' the beginning for the Albania small of a heroic period and all Europe remained sbigottita for the titanic fight that this people, gathered in an only force, for a quarter of century knew to resist to the pushes of the Ottoman armies, whose intentions were the invasion of the Balkans, of the same Veneta Republic, in order then to reach Rome. A dream remained such just for the gesta of the national hero Albanian Scanderbeg. Kruja divenne bench mark of the first organizations and the place where Scanderbeg, christened Christian hour, gave beginning to the difficult operation of the unification in an only flag of the disparate Albanian forces. The first attempt in 1444 succeeded only partially. They joined, beyond to its brother-in-law Gino Musaqi, other getlteman closely legacies to the family of the Castriota, like the Dukagjni. It succeeded, founding the “Alloy of the Albanian people” to compose an army of beyond diecimila men to which one addressed with a wounded deeply appeal before condurli on the battlefield in order facing the Turkish enemy. In the speech brought back in the work cited from the Barlezio, it appears in all evidence the drama of the hero, desire of giving to its earth the lost freedom and the plan to face the enemy who then will demonstrate itself effective and strategic. Proverbiali is its plans of battle sets up on the guerrilla in the sour throats of Albanian mountains and in picking of surprise the enemy to you in plains, even if numerically advanced. Its before june of that same year battles victorious laughed them to the 20. In 1450 it personally defeated the poderoso guided osmano army from the sultano Maometto II. Four years after it refused the peace offertagli from the Turks, holders of an immense and powerful empire, and the Albania small remained the only Christian country in crews against the Muslims. Kruja remained always the main objective of the Turks who, but, endured continuous defeats from the Albanians in the years to come. Scanderbeg, meantime, the relationships with reigning of beyond Adriatic held balances very. In 1457 it came in Galatina, in the Puglie, aid of Shoeing of Aragon, in order to fight the Angioini. Also the relationships with the Papi were tightened. For its indomita fight against the Turks the title it of “Christi Athlete” conferred it. In the 1468 to Alessio, still engaged in that one its leggendaria war enterprise, it picked it the fever and Moors between I plant of its trusts condottieri and the entire people. Scomparve from hero and does not give monarch, loving he of the freedoms of the feudali dominions and their lordships. Its figure is remained a perennial symbol of fulgido eroismo, also in all the diaspora Albanian. Still today the Arbëreshë remembers its gesta above all in the rapsodie and the epici songs. With its dead women, the ruin of the people and the contrade had beginning Albanian. After ten years it definitively fell the heroic citadel of Kruja in Ottoman hand and had consisting beginning the exodus than more Albanian that was allocated in Italy in the province of Cosenza.