Arbëreshë Seminary of Palermo

The Arbëresh Seminary of Palermo, also known as the Italo-Albanian Seminary (Italian: Seminario Italo-Albanese di Palermo), was an important educational and cultural center for the Arbëreshë Albanian community in Sicily. The Seminary is situated in the historic center of Palermo, facing the magnificent post office building, between a street of the same name (Via Seminario Italo-Albanese) and Piazza Padre Giorgio Guzzetta.

Founded in Palermo in 1734 by Father Gjergj Guxeta, Apostle of the Arbëresh in Sicily and one of the foremost intellectuals of the Arbëresh in the 18th century, the Seminary has for centuries been a bastion for preserving the Albanian language, culture, and traditions; It nurtured many intellectuals, priests, monks, distinguished bishops, writers, and renowned poets who also contributed to Albania, their homeland. Since 1950, due to significant damage caused by American bombings of Palermo during World War II, its headquarters officially relocated to Piana degli Albanesi. The Seminary's premises, owned by the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, have been modernized and leased to the Italian state as a school.

History
During the pontificate of Pope Clement XI (1700–1721), of Albanian origin, and Clement XII (1730–1740), there was a renewed interest from the Holy See in the Byzantine Christian tradition, which manifested in the founding of the "Collegio Corsini" of Saint Benedict (San Benedetto Ullano, 1732) in Kozenxë (later transferred in 1794 to Saint Demetrius of Coronë, known as "Collegio San Adriano" for the Arbëresh communities of the Byzantine rite in Calabria), and the establishment of the Arbëresh Seminary of Palermo (1734) for the communities of Sicily.

The Arbëresh Seminary of Palermo was founded by Father Gjergj Guxeta (Italian: Padre Giorgio Guzzetta). This institution had the duty of welcoming and educating young people from the Arbëresh communities of the Byzantine rite present in Sicily. The Seminary thus became the most important religious and cultural center for the education - according to the Eastern Byzantine rite - of young generations of Arbëresh priests for their colonies in Sicily.

Father Gjergji Guxeta was the first rector of this center, serving for approximately ten years. He was succeeded by the priest Papa Pjetër d'Andrea from Himara, who in 1746 was appointed chaplain of the parish church of the Seminary of "Shën Kollit" (San Nicolò "dei Greci"), until his death on October 17 of the same year.

Following a valued collaboration from the early days of the same seminary, Father Guzzetta appointed Father Pal Maria Parrino (1710–1765) from Pallaci (Palazzo Adriano) as vice-rector in 1739, and in 1752 as rector of the Seminary he established in Palermo. After Guzzetta's tenure, Parrino became the second rector of the Italo-Albanian Seminary, a position he held from 1746 until 1765. He was assisted by Father Vasili Stasi (Italian: Basilio Stassi) from Piana degli Albanesi and Father Melchiorre Masi from Munxifsi (Mezzojuso).