Demetrio Reres or Demetrius Reres ( sq, Dhimitër Reres) is considered to have been a 15th-century Albanian and Calabrian nobleman. Since he is mentioned only in a document dating from 24 September 1665, 217 years after the events of the subject, and the document seems to have been falsified, the historicity of Demetrio Reres is debated among scholars.

Origin

The only document that mentions Demetrio Reres reports him as related to the "illustrious

Kastrioti The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) was an Albanian noble family, active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of the Principality of Kastrioti. At the beginning of the 15th century, the family controlled a territory in the ...

family" while no document of the period in question actually supports this assertion.

Military career

In 1448 troops under the command of Demetrio Reres and his two sons George and Basil went from Albania to the rural areas of the Kingdom of Naples to suppress a rebellion against Alfonso V. Many of the soldiers had requested to be allowed to settle in the area to avoid struggling against Ottomans in Albania. Alfonso V readily gave his approval to the loyal protectors of his rule so they formed the first Arbëresh settlements in the area. His brother and two sons also established several Albanian settlements in Sicily. After the campaign Reres was awarded by Alfonso with the governorship of Reggio province in Calabria. In some historical works these Albanian-populated regions governed by Reres and his two sons were referred to as military colonies.

Aftermath

He sired Joan and Vasil Reres. Andrea Reres, a descendant of Demetrio, founded the Basilian Monastery in

Mezzojuso Mezzojuso ( Sicilian: ''Menzijusu'' or ''Menziuso'', Arbëreshë: ''Munxifsi'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a ...

with the provision that the Greek rite would be used. The surname Reres is nowadays common among the

Arbëreshë Arbën/Arbër, from which derived Arbënesh/Arbëresh originally meant all Albanians, until the 18th century. Today it is used for different groups of Albanian origin, including: * Arbër (given name), an Albanian masculine given name * Arbëresh ...

community.

References

Bibliography

*{{cite book, last=Petta, first=Paolo, title=Stradioti: soldati albanesi in Italia, sec. XV-XIX, publisher=Argo, year=1996, isbn=9788886211864, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JKu_AAAACAAJ 15th-century Albanian people Albanian nobility Albanian soldiers 15th-century Neapolitan people Eastern Orthodox Christians from Albania Albanian expatriates in Italy

Origin

Military career

Aftermath

See also

References

Bibliography