Eparchy of Lungro of the Italian-Albanians
Centenary

Albanians immigrated to southern Italy from the 15th to the 18th centuries as the Ottoman Empire occupied the Balkans and Constantinople fell in 1453. In 1919 Pope Benedict XV established the Eparchy of Lungro to provide special status under ecclesiastical and civil law for the immigrant community. Lungro is located in the province of Cosenza, in Italy's Calabria region. Lungro is one of the most prominent centers of the Albanians and the seat of the Eparchy of Lungro. This jurisdiction of the Catholic Church preserved the Byzantine rite and the local language and encompasses all the Albanian speaking communities in the area. The eparchy is part of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church. The Vatican issued a €2,40 mini sheet that depicts the 'Christ Pantocrator' mosaic by Albanian artist Josif Droboniku, which is located on the central dome of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas of Myra in Lungro. Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1708 - 1708 Date Issued - 11 February 2019 Face Value - €2,40 Perforations - N/A Printing Process - Offset Printer - Jon Enschedë (Netherlands) Max Printed - 60,000

(Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 67 Issue: 380 Page: 4-6)