Marin Barleti

When Barleti lived in Shkodër he was a scholar and a clergyman. In 1474 the Turks besieged Shkodër. Barleti participated in the defense of the town both in the first siege in 1474 and the second time in 1478. When Shkodër fell to the Ottomans he escaped to Italy where he became a profound connoisseur of history, classical literature and the Latin language. In Venice he wrote the "History of Skanderbeg (Historia de vita et rebus gestis Scanderbegi) (1508-1511), "The Siege of Shkodër" (De obsidione Scodransi, Venice, 1504) and "A Brief History of Lives of Popes and Emperors" (Compendium vitarum ponticum et imperatorum, Venice, 1555).

His most well-known work is the biography of the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg, Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis (The story of life and deeds of Skanderbeg, the prince of Epirotes). It was printed in Rome between 1506 and 1510, probably between 1508 and 1510. The book rapidly spread in several languages and eventually was translated into Latin and Portuguese four times 1582 and German seven times 1533. It is still the foundation of Skanderbeg studies, and also established the Skanderbeg cult that was important for the formation of the Albanian national self-consciousness. This book is considered as an Albanian cultural treasure and today is in Biblioteka Kombetare in Tirana, Albania.

Barleti's last work was the collection of popes and emperors, Compendium vitarum Summorum Pontificium usque ad Marcellum II Imperatorumque Romanorum (Compendium of biographies of Popes and Roman emperors until Marcellus II).