TIRANA, Dec. 25 – A special copy of the 16th century first book written and published in Albanian brought as present by Pope Francis in his visit to Albania last September was displayed at the President’s office this week in an exhibition.
In his visit to Albania on Sept. 20, Pope Francis also brought a digital copy of the 16th century book written and published in Albanian. The Missal (Meshari), whose original version preserved at the Vatican Library, was displayed in Albania for the first time in November 2012 as part as part of celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of Albania’s independence.
Known as Meshari (The Missal), the book was written by Gjon Buzuku, a northern Albanian Catholic cleric, who probably lived in or around Venice.
“Since the frontispiece and the first sixteen pages of the only copy of the book we possess, preserved in the Vatican Library, are missing, we unfortunately know neither its exact title nor its place of publication. In Albanian, it is known simply as the Meshari (The Missal), and was written in 1555. The scant information we do possess about the author comes from the colophon (postscript) of the missal which Buzuku wrote himself in Albanian, not unaware of the historic dimensions of his undertaking,” says Albanian studies specialist Robert Elsie.
