Giovanni de Rubertis


Giovanni de Rubertis was an Italian poet and translator of the Slavic minority of Molise
As principal of the Casacalenda gymnasium, he proved key for the preservation of national consciousness and identity among the Serbs in Molise. He was a great friend with Medo Pucić, whose lyrics were translated into Italian. During his research on the Serbs in the south of Italy, Risto Kovačić visited De Rubertis in 1884. From January 1885 he became a correspondent member of the Serbian Learning Society.
According to Graziadio Isaia Ascoli, De Rubertis considered the Schiavoni or Dalmati of Molise as Serbs that were brought there by Skanderbeg during his Italian expedition in 1460—1462 along with the Albanians.