Categories: HistoryWorld

Armenian Village of Nor Araks in Italy

In the 1920s in Italy, famous Armenian symbolist poet Hrant Nazarian gathered 150 Armenians, survivors of massacres of Armenians in Ottoman Turkey, and founded the village of Nor-Araks (Armenian: “New Araks”) near the city of Bari.

This village exists to this day (photos attached). The city itself is located on the shore of the Adriatic Sea.

A small carpet weaving factory was opened in the village, and the sale of the carpets ensured the existence of the whole community.

The initiative of Hrant Nazarian (on the first photo) was implemented with the assistance and personal protection of Benito Mussolini. The costs of electricity, water, medical service, and medical supplies were taken care of by the government.

In 1938, Mussolini sent Hieromonk Vahan Hovhannisyan from the Congregation of Mkhitarists to Ethiopia with the mandate to open an Armenian school in Addis Ababa.

Vigen Avetisyan

View Comments

  • Thank you for posting this info about the NorArax village in Italy! Never knew it exists! Where exactly is it on the Adriatic coast, Closest big town? Thanks!

  • Ohhh, if I only knew this before, because I have even visited Bari without knowing of the Armenian existance there>>> thanks for the information, at least for the future (y)

  • I can't find Nor Araks on Google Maps.
    They could be precise in location.
    Thank you.

    No encuentro Nor Araks en Google Maps.
    Podrían ser precisos en la ubicación.
    Muchas gracias.

  • Please can someone email th eexact adress of NOR ARAX or NOR ARAKS, I can not find it anywhere, thanks

Recent Posts

Armenian Orphan Girls in New York (1917): A Forgotten Act of Witness and Relief

In 1917, at the height of global upheaval during World War I, a small but…

5 days ago

The Armenian Genocide: State Crime, Mass Participation, and the Burden of Historical Responsibility

The Armenian Genocide (1915–1921 ...) was not an accident of war, nor a tragic byproduct…

1 week ago

The First Printed Armenian Bible (Amsterdam, 1666–1668)

Introduction The first printed edition of the Bible in the Armenian language stands as one…

2 weeks ago

Armenopolis (Gherla): An Armenian “Ideal City” in the Heart of Europe

Armenopolis (modern-day Gherla, Romania) is a remarkable example of how the Armenian diaspora not only…

2 weeks ago

Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia

Regarding the Remarks of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group at the Permanent Council…

2 months ago

The Armenian Genetic Code: An 8,000-Year Unbroken Journey

While empires rose and fell and borders shifted across millennia, one remarkable constant has endured:…

3 months ago