TIRANA, Aug. 4 /ATA/ – The Arbëreshë community in Piana degli Albanesi, one of the largest and most historically significant Albanian settlements in Sicily, held the latest edition of the Buka Buskers Fest on Aug. 1-2, celebrating its centuries-old cultural heritage through a mix of traditional bread-making, street arts and contemporary performances.
Held in the town’s historic Rrokat quarter, the festival is built around “Buka e Horës,”( “the town of the Arbëreshë” or “city of the Albanians”) the traditional Arbëreshë bread that has long symbolised the community’s identity and its roots dating back to the migration of Albanians to southern Italy in the 15th century.
Conceived as a “festival of bread and street arts,” the event transforms the neighbourhood into an open-air cultural venue, with music, theatre, circus performances, poetry readings, creative workshops and activities for all ages bringing together residents, artists and visitors over two days.
Organisers say the festival seeks to strengthen the connection between the local community, its cultural heritage and contemporary forms of artistic expression, while encouraging wider public engagement with Arbëreshë traditions.
They hope Buka Buskers Fest will become an enduring annual tradition, promoting dialogue, participation and a renewed sense of belonging through shared cultural spaces.
At the heart of the initiative is the revitalisation of the historic Rrokat neighbourhood, which organisers describe as both a cultural landmark and a shared public space deserving of preservation and community care.
The Arbëreshë are descendants of Albanians who settled in southern Italy after fleeing the Ottoman advance across the Balkans in the 15th century. Today, their communities continue to preserve the Arbëresh language, Byzantine religious traditions and distinctive customs, making them one of the oldest Albanian diasporas in Europe.
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