Jolanda Lila (Albanian University, Albania)
This paper explores Ghiella e Shën Mëriis Virghiër (Rome, 1762), a long devotional poem by Jul Variboba, one of the most original early contributors to Albanian-language literature in the 18th century. Written in the Arbëresh dialect of San Giorgio Albanese and printed in Rome, the 4717-line poem recounts the life of the Virgin Mary, reflecting both personal piety and broader ecclesiastical influences. This rare printed work, shaped within the Catholic print networks of the time, illustrates how the Arbëresh diaspora used the printed word to preserve linguistic and cultural identity amid shifting religious and political contexts.
The paper analyzes the poem’s structure, stylistic devices, and the interplay between oral tradition and printed form. Particular attention is given to its intended readership—members of Arbëresh communities in Southern Italy who adhered to the Byzantine rite. This liturgical tradition played a key role in maintaining a distinct cultural and national identity, and Variboba’s work speaks directly to that context by blending religious instruction with vernacular expression and poetic innovation.
By situating Variboba’s work within early modern print culture, this study offers insight into the transregional movement of religious texts, the role of minority languages in print, and the contribution of peripheral voices to early modern European literary history.