The red banner bearing the black double-headed eagle was the ensign of George Castriota, better known as Skanderbeg, the hero of the uprising against the Turks and founder of an independent state in 1443. He probably chose the eagle on account of a tradition that the Albanians are descendants of the eagle. They call themselves Shkypetars, which translates to "the sons of the eagle".
Maltese family history is defined by extensive foreign connections resulting from centuries of Mediterranean trade, conquest, and emigration. As a result, family ties often form part of a broad network of relationships extending well beyond Malta's shores. Thus, Maltese heritage and connections are linked to a diverse range of international celebrities across entertainment, politics, and music.
This feature touches upon one such connection; the Fabri family and an Albanian national hero.
Noel Fabri does not need much introduction. Now retired, he is a well-known figure in Mosta, having been responsible for the Mosta Regional Library for 33 years. There have been few poets who worked as librarians in Malta's cultural history. Fabri is one of them.
Some outstanding traits in this person are his humility, generosity and above all his sense of selflessness. Fabri is also well known for his unique style in writing terse verse.
Banielo Castriota
During the course of his family research, Alfred Fabri (Noel's brother) discovered genealogically his family is related to Banielo Castriota. Little did he know that in their family lineage, there is royal blood. Castriota is his 19th great-grandfather, as he is also an ancestor of Philippe, King of the Belgians, and Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
According to Maltagenealogy.com, Castriota (d. 1379) is historically documented in some genealogical trees as the earliest recorded patriarch and ancestor of the famous Albanian noble House of Kastrioti.
According to traditional regional lineages (such as those archived by Maltagenealogy), he served as the Governor of Canina (Kaninë, located in modern-day Albania) from 1368 until his death in 1379.
Historical context and descent
Albania was inhabited by several Illyrian tribes, among them the Ardiaei, Bylliones, Dassaretii, Enchele, and Taulantians, with the Chaonians settled in the southwest. Several colonies were founded by the Ancient Greeks along the Albanian coast, most notably Apollonia. The Illyrians were the dominant power in Albania before the rise of Macedon. Following the Illyrian Wars, Albania was integrated into the Roman Empire and remained in the Byzantine Empire after its partition.
During the Middle Ages, several Albanian principalities emerged, most notably the Principality of Arbanon, Kingdom of Albania, Principality of Albania and Albania Veneta. In the 15th century, Albania became a centre of resistance against Ottoman expansion under the leadership of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg (George Castriota Skanderbeg), whose military campaigns repelled Ottoman advances for over two decades
While many formal historical texts (like Wikipedia) fast-forward to his son or immediate successor, Pal (Paolo) Castriota, as the first widely verified administrative figure of the clan, Banielo stands at the root of the family tree that produced Gjergj Kastrioti, universally known as Skanderbeg - the iconic national hero of Albania who led the 15th century resistance against the Ottoman Empire and is considered as the hero of Christendeom.
Key lineage breakdown
- Banielo Castriota (d. 1379) - Governor of Canina
- Paolo (Pal) Castriota - Lord of Signa and Gardi
- Gjon (Giovanni) Kastrioti (d. 1443) - Lord of Mat and Dibra
- George Castriota Skanderbeg (1405-1468) - Prince, poet and famous general. National hero of Albania.
Noel Fabri - Profile
Noel Fabri was born on 17 December 1964. He began writing poetry in 1986. He has published three books of poetry - Wesgħat bla tarf (Open spaces), 1997; Dawl u dellijiet (Lights and shadows), 1998 and Diwi fir-riħ (Echoes in the wind), 2002. He writes in Maltese, English and Italian.
He has published his poems in many anthologies of local literary societies. Fabri is interviewed regularly on local radio and TV stations. He has been awarded many prestigious awards, both locally and abroad - The Editor's award, Maryland USA (1995) and Gold Medal and Diploma by the Centro Europeo Di Cultura (Rome 2000).
He is also a distinguished member of the International Society of Poets, Honorary member of the Circolo San Giuseppe Filarmonika Sagra Familja, Kalkara and Honorary member of the Għaqda Filantropika Talent Mosti.