Literature In October 1834, in accordance with his father's wishes, he registered at the Faculty of Law of the
University of Naples, but the main focus of his interests remained folklore and literature. It was in
Naples in 1836 that De Rada published the first edition of his best known Albanian-language poem, the "Songs of Milosao", under the Italian title
Poesie albanesi del secolo XV. Canti di Milosao, figlio del despota di Scutari (Albanian poetry from the 15th century. Songs of Milosao, son of the
despot of
Shkodra). He was soon forced to abandon his studies due to a
cholera epidemic in Naples and returned home to
Calabria. His second work,
Canti storici albanesi di Serafina Thopia, moglie del principe Nicola Ducagino, Naples 1839 (Albanian historical songs of Serafina Thopia, wife of prince
Nicholas Dukagjini),
Politics In 1881, De Rada's views on Albania's future envisaged a country split into three units based on religion within a
federal state. By 1886, De Rada opposed proposals by the Greeks of a Balkan federation and supported remaining separate from Greece as any unification according to him would entail the end of Albanian existence. De Rada maintained a policy of siding with the Ottomans against common enemies and disapproving of anti-Ottoman insurrection viewing it as Greek and Serb foreign influence with the hope that the
Ottoman Empire would grant Albanians their socio-political rights. In October 1895, De Rada, along with fellow Italo-Albanians
Giuseppe Schirò and
Anselmo Lorecchio, organised a congress on Albanian national, cultural and linguistic self-determination that convened in
Corigliano Calabro. It was followed by a second congress in
Lungro during February 1897. == See also ==