Pjetër Zarishi or Dom Pjeter Xarishi (1806 in Blinisht, Zadrima – 1866 in

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

Mirditë Mirditë ( sq-definite, Mirdita) is a municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Fan, Kaçinar, Kthellë, Orosh, Rrëshen, Rubik and Selitë. The seat of the municipa ...

Catholic priest and poet who established a tradition of the 19th century Catholic literature in northern Albania. He is also noted for his literary contribution to the Albanian National Awakening. His poems were primarily religious and in less extent secular.

Life

Zarishi was born on February 16, 1806, in Blinisht, a village in Zadrima, back then part of Ottoman Empire. He was educated at the training college of the Propaganda Fide. He was first appointed as a secretary of the Italian bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sapë in

Nënshat Nënshat is a settlement in the former Hajmel municipality, Shkodër County, northern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Vau i Dejës Vau i Dejës (), English: Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipalit ...

, in the Shkoder Archdiocese who was transferred to

Orosh Orosh (or ) is a small village in Mirditë within the county of Lezhë County, Lezhë in the northwest of the Republic of Albania. Geographically, it is located inside the mountainous region of northern Albania in the Fan (river), Valley of Fan. ...

and appointed as abbot of the remote Abbey of Orosh after one disagreement with bishop of Sapa. Zarishi and Dotmaze from Shkoder were assistants of

Karlo Krasnik Karlo may refer to: * Karlo (name) * Karlo Island, of the Indian union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands * Karlö, the Swedish name of Hailuoto, Finland See also * Carlo (disambiguation) * Karlos (disambiguation) *Karly Karly is an Eng ...

, a Catholic priest. In Orosh Zarishi initially maintained a close cooperation with local Mirdite leaders and particularly with

Dod Bib Pasha Bib Doda Pasha (1820–1868) was the ruler of Mirdita. He held the Ottoman rank of ''kapedan'' (captain) and the honorific ''pasha'' (governor). Family Bib Doda belonged to the Gjonmarkaj clan which had led Mirdita for a long period. He started ...

. When Ilija Garašanin, through Krasnik, approached to Dod Bib Pasha to propose to Mirdita to join anti-Ottoman revolt, the Pasha accepted to ally with Serbia in exchange for the autonomy of his tribe and freedom to keep their Catholic faith within Serbian state. On the other hand, Zarishi and Dotmaze were opposed to participation of Mirdite tribe in the uprising against Ottomans because they believed it would not be effective. Because of the conflict with some Mirdita chieftains, he was forced to leave Orosh and to settle in

Kallmet Kallmet is a former municipality in the Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Lezhë. The population at the 2011 census was 4,118. His pupil Petar Draguša later wrote that Zarishi was so good an orator that more than once listeners of his speeches broke down crying.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zarishi, Pjeter 1806 births 1866 deaths 19th-century Albanian Roman Catholic priests Albanian writers Albanian Franciscans Albanians from the Ottoman Empire People from Lezhë