National discourse of the Albanian humanists at the end of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries

Ova teza ispituje djela renesansnih humanističkih autora, kao i podrijetlo, stvaranje i evoluciju nacionalnog diskursa u Europi, s posebnim naglaskom na Albaniji. To je prva imagološka analiza nacionalnog diskursa albanskih humanista. Temelji se na teoriji švicarskog povjesničara Caspara Hirschija koja osporava mainstream modernističke teorije i historiografiju nacionalnog diskursa koja ga predstavlja kao moderni fenomen. Hirschijeva konstruktivistička teorija ima korijene u srednjovjekovnim izvorima i autorima, naime renesansnim humanistima iz Njemačke, Italije i Francuske, čiji se spisi analiziraju i smatraju utemeljiteljima nacionalnog govora. Kao primjeri raspravlja se o raznim nacionalnim humanistima. Glavni fokus ove teze stavljen je na albansku zajednicu u Veneciji, osobito na albanske humaniste, Demetria Franca, Marina Barlezija i Marina Becichema kao konstruktore albanskog nacionalnog diskursa. Osim toga, teza ocrtava ideološku pozadinu albanske historiografije. Kronike i biografije albanskih humanista analiziraju se pomoću topološke analize koju je predložila Zrinka Blažević. Analizirani topoi su: mit o zajedničkom podrijetlu, nacionalnom prostoru i geografiji, nacionalnoj karakterologiji i nacionalnim herojima.This thesis examines Renaissance humanist authors’ works as well as the origins, creation, and evolution of national discourse in Europe, with particular focus on Albania. It is the first imagological analysis of Albanian humanists’ national discourse. It is based on the theory of the Swiss historian Caspar Hirschi which challenges the mainstream modernist theories and historiography of the national discourse which present it as a modern phenomenon. Hirschi’s constructivist theory has its roots in medieval sources and authors, namely Renaissance humanists from Germany, Italy, and France, whose writings are analysed and regarded as founding fathers of national speech. Various national humanists are discussed as examples. The main focus of this thesis is placed on the Albanian community in Venice, especially the Albanian humanists, Demetrio Franco, Marino Barlezio and Marino Becichemo as constructors of the Albanian national discourse. In addition, the thesis outlines the ideological background of the Albanian historiography. The Albanian humanists’ chronicles and biographies are analysed by using the topological analysis proposed by Zrinka Blažević. The topoi analyzed are: the myth of the common origins, national space and geography, national characterology, and national heroes