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Hello, Baffa is an Italo-Albanian surname.

Between 1450-1550, the King of the Two Sicilies imported Albanian soldiers and settled them and their families in villages/encampments in southern Italy and Sicily to consoidate his control of his kingdom. They came in 4 waves. The first wave settled in 12 villages quite south of Naples. The second wave settled in four villages in Sicily.

The third wave was large and constituted refugee soldiers and civilians fleeing Ottoman Turkish conquest of Albania. They settled heavily in southern Italy and Sicily. The fourth wave constituted Albanian mercenaries and their families stationed in southern Greece, who were fleeing Ottoman conquest there.

These Albanians are called Aberesh and came to speak their own language of Abereshe-- one of the four languages in the Albanian macro-language group. This ethnic community usually intermarried and maintained strong sense of cultural identity into the 20th century. The Italian government recognizes it as an official minority. Historically, the Abereshe were prized as fierce, high quality soldiers throughout southern Europe and particularly in Italy.

The King of the Two Sicilies (Naples) commuted their taxes in favor of military service. Adult males were commonly either serving or mercenary soldiers or farmers/shepherds who owed the king military service when called up.

There is a boatload of material on the Aberesh on the internet. The Baffa surname has been identified in some villages.

All the Best!

• Baffa / Bassa - erb816  Nov 14 2010, 4:12:20 PM
  • Re: Baffa / Bassa - Mark S.  Apr 2 2011, 8:34:40 AM
  • Re: Baffa / Bassa - Marc  Nov 16 2010, 7:55:25 AM
    • Oh wow! - erb816  Nov 18 2010, 9:41:36 AM