Frang Bardhi (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

: ''Franciscus Blancus'', it, Francesco Bianchi, 1606–1643) was an Albanian

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

bishop and writer. Bardhi is best known as an author of the early eras of

Albanian literature Albanian literature stretches back to the Middle Ages and comprises those literary texts and works written in Albanian. It may also refer to literature written by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora particularly in Italy. Al ...

. He served as Bishop of Sapë (1635–1644). ''(in Latin)''

Life

Bardhi was born in Kallmet or Nënshat in the northern Albanian Zadrima region near

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian cons ...

. He came from a family consisting of many figures high in the hierarchy of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and state officials or military commanders of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

. His uncle was Bishop of Sapa and Sarda. He studied

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. On 17 December 1635, Francesco Bianchi was appointed during the papacy of

Pope Urban VIII Pope Urban VIII ( la, Urbanus VIII; it, Urbano VIII; baptised 5 April 1568 – 29 July 1644), born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 6 August 1623 to his death in July 1644. As po ...

as Bishop of Sapë. On 30 March 1636, he was

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different gro ...

bishop by Ciriaco Rocci,

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

San Salvatore in Lauro San Salvatore in Lauro is a Catholic church in central Rome, Italy. It is located on a piazza of the same name in the rione Ponte. It stands on Via Vecchiarelli, just south of the Lungotevere Tor di Nona and north of via dei Coronari. Within Ro ...

, with

Giovanni Battista Altieri Giambattista Altieri or Giovanni Battista Altieri (20 June 1589 – 26 November 1654) was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. Early life Giambattista Altieri was born 20 June 1589 in Rome, the son of Lorenzo Altieri and Victoria Delphini, a Ven ...

, Bishop Emeritus of Camerino, and

Ottavio Broglia Ottavio Broglia or Otavio Brolia (died October 1647) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Asti (1624–1647). Biography On 11 March 1624, Ottavio Broglia was appointed during the papacy of Pope Urban VIII as Bishop of Asti. On 1 ...

Bishop of Asti The Diocese of Asti ( la, Dioecesis Astensis) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Piedmont, northern Italy, centered in the city of Asti. It has been a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Turin since 1515.

, serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

. Bardhi is remembered as the author of the first Albanian dictionary ''Dictionarium latino-epiroticum'' (Latin-Albanian dictionary) published in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 1635, comprising 5,640 entries. Its appendix contains a list of 113 proverbs, phrases, and idioms, some of which are translations from other languages into Albanian with the vast majority being collected from the

Albanian folklore Albanian folk beliefs ( sq, Besimet folklorike shqiptare) comprise the beliefs expressed in the customs, rituals, myths, legends and tales of the Albanian people. The elements of Albanian mythology are of Paleo-Balkanic origin and almost all ...

. Bardhi also wrote a biography of George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, called ''

The Apology of Scanderbeg ''The Apology of Scanderbeg'' is a work of Frang Bardhi, published at Venice in 1636, in Latin. Its complete title is ''Georgius Castriottus Epirensis vulgo Scanderbegh, Epirotarum Princeps fortissimus ac invictissimus suis et Patriae restitutus'' ...

'' published in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in 1636. The Apology of Scanderbeg was a polemic against Slavic Catholic priest Ivan Tomko Mrnavić, who claimed that Kastrioti was of Slav origin. Bardhi also complained that the

Albanian language Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Eur ...

"was being lost and degenerating" under the blows of foreign occupiers, and in order to preserve it he saw himself contributing to the missing of rising the national pride between Albanians. From 1637 on, Bardhi submitted reports in Italian and Latin to the Congregation of the

Propaganda Fide Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

which contain a mine of information about his

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

, about political developments, about Albanian customs and about the structure and position of the Catholic Church in Ottoman-occupied

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and share ...

References

External links

"Description and information on the state of the bishopric and parish churches of the Diocese of Sapa, subjected to the tyranny of the Turks"''Albanian Literature'', Section 1.6, by Robert Elsie, pages 24–27''Dictionarivm Latino Epiroticvm'' per R. D. Franciscvm Blanchvm
* (for Chronology of Bishops) * (for Chronology of Bishops) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bardhi, Frang Frang 1606 births 1643 deaths Republic of Venice clergy People from Lezhë 17th-century Albanian Roman Catholic bishops 17th-century Latin-language writers Venetian period in the history of Albania Albanian lexicographers 17th-century Albanian historians Sanjak of Scutari Members of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples 17th-century male writers 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Ottoman Empire Roman Catholic bishops of Sapë

Life

See also

References

External links