Marin Barleti
Marin Barleti (Latin: Marinus Barletius, Italian: Marino Barlezio; ca 1450, Shkodėr - 1512 or 1513, probably Rome) was a humanist of Albanian descent, the first Albanian historian, and a Catholic priest.
Little is known about his life. His Albanian descent is not fully certain. He might have been Italian. Italian Albanians have claimed that he was an Orthodox priest.
He was in his home town Shkodėr when Turks besieged it for the second time in 1478. Apparently he participated in the defense of the town.
In 1479, he went to Italy where he did historical research work. In 1504 or 1505, his description De obsidione Scodrensi (On the siege of Shkodėr) came out in Venice.
His most well-known work is the biography of the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg, Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis (The story of life and deeds of Skanderbeg, the prince of Epirotes). It was printed in Rome between 1506 and 1510, probably between 1508 and 1510. The book rapidly spread in several languages and eventually was translated into almost all European languages. It is still the foundation of Skanderbeg studies, and also established the Skanderbeg cult that was important for the formation of the Albanian national self-consciousness.
Barleti's last work was the collection of popes and emperors, Compendium vitarum Summorum Pontificium usque ad Marcellum II Imperatorumque Romanorum (Compendium of biographies of Popes and Roman emperors until Marcellus II).
The old library of Shkodėr and a publishing house have been named after Marin Barleti.
