Demetrio Reres

Demetrio Reres or Demetrius Reres[2] (Albanian: Dhimitër Reres) was a 15th-century Albanian and Calabrian nobleman.[3]

Demetrio Reres
Issue
  • Vasil
  • Joan
Occupation15th century nobleman in Albania and Calabria

Origin

Demetrio Reres was an enigmatic person who has been little researched by historians. In a 1448 document Reres (Renes or Renessi in Venetian documents) was mentioned as related to the "illustrious Kastrioti family" while no document of the period in question actually supports this assertion.[1] In some earlier works Reres was referred to as Demetrius Reres Castriota and mistakenly identified as the father of Skanderbeg.[4][5] Ludwig Thallóczy presented a hypothesis that he was actually Demetrius Paleologus, a brother of the Byzantine Emperor.[1]

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.[6] 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.[3][7] His brother and two sons also established several Albanian settlements in Sicily.[3][8] After the campaign Reres was awarded by Alfonso with the governorship of Reggio province in Calabria.[1] In some historical works these Albanian-populated regions governed by Reres and his two sons were referred to as military colonies.[9]

Aftermath

He sired Joan and Vasil Reres.[10] Andrea Reres, a descendant of Demetrio, founded the Basilian Monastery in Mezzojuso with the provision that the Greek rite would be used.[1] The surname Reres is nowadays common among the Arbëreshë community.[6]

References
  1. Arshi Pipa (1978). Albanian Folk Verse: Structure and Genre. O. Harrassowitz. p. 41. ISBN 978-3-87828-119-1. Retrieved 1 December 2013. Epirote captain
  2. Robert Elsie (2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-8108-6188-6. Retrieved 12 June 2013. Demetrius Reres
  3. Nasse, George Nicholas (1964). The Italo-Albanian Villages of Southern Italy. National Academies. p. 245. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  4. Philological Society (Great Britain). (1891). Transactions of the Philological Society. Society. p. 363. ...by Demetrius Reres Castriota ; by his son, the celebrated Albanian Captain Scanderbeg ; and by their followers
  5. Johann Georg Hahn (1854). Heft. Geographisch-ethnographische Uebersicht. Reiseskizzen. Sittenschilderungen. Sind die Albanesen Autochthonen? Das albanische Alphabet. Historisches. Verlag von Friedrich Mauke. p. 30. ... welchem die obigen Notizen entnommen sind, setzt die erste Einwanderung in's Jahr 1440 unter Führung des Demetrius Reres Castriota des Vaters (?) von Skenderbei
  6. Fortescue, Adrian (2001). The Uniate Eastern Churches. Gorgias Press LLC. p. 118. ISBN 9780971598638. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  7. Robert Elsie (19 March 2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Scarecrow Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-8108-7380-3. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  8. Prato, Giuliana B. (2009). Beyond Multiculturalism: Views from Anthropology. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 81. ISBN 9781409491811. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  9. Giuseppe Schirò (1904). Gli albanesi e la questione Balkanica. Ferd. Bideri. p. 199. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  10. Ibrahimi, Mustafa. "Shënime udhëtimi mes Arbëreshëve të Kalabrisë". Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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