The Greek-Rite Minority in the Seventeenth-Century Kingdom of Naples: The Case of the Albanians of Barile

Abstract This article examines how the Greek-rite Albanian community of Barile, in the seventeenth-century Kingdom of Naples, negotiated the pressures of post-Tridentine religious reform while preserving elements of its ritual and social identity. In the aftermath of the Council of Trent, ecclesiastical authorities – particularly bishops and inquisitors – sought to regulate devotional life by suppressing practices classified as “superstitious.” These policies were gradually extended to Eastern Christian communities, which had previously enjoyed a degree of liturgical autonomy within the Kingdom of Naples. Focusing on the confrontation between Bishop Deodato Scaglia and the Greek community of Barile, this article explores how local actors responded to increasing pressure to conform to the Latin rite. Drawing on episcopal reports, inquisitorial correspondence, synodal decrees, and documents from the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, the study identifies four recurring patterns of adaptation: control of sacred space, intermarriage, factional organization, and diplomatic negotiation. It argues that practices labeled “superstitions” functioned not only as objects of repression but also as mechanisms through which the community articulated collective identity and negotiated confessional boundaries, showing that post-Tridentine reform operated through continuous negotiation rather than unilateral imposition.