North African Moors in Reggio Calabria

[NDR]

Does anyone have information on the invasion/emigration of North African Moors to Reggio Calabria? Several web sites suggest the origins of my ancestral family name -"Richichi" - may be Arabic - "Raqiq". Thanks.

[carinthiangirl]

why only "moors"and arabic, some other possibilities also.....?
http://www.levantineheritage.com/richichi.htm
http://www.levantineheritage.com/
as example also albanian names sound similar like Rexhpi, many albanian orgins in Italy...
Arbëreshë people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arb%C3%ABresh%C3%AB_people
Arbëresh: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arb%C3%ABresh
example > Napoleon Bonaparte was in fact of albanian orgin
http://knol.google.com/k/florian-chilku ... qlsxxyy1/1#
a school in Albania which has also the Raqi in name:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8540981350
their Forum - to see the language: http://raqiqirinxhi.phpbb9.com/

so this can be a possibiliy....

[carinthiangirl]

italien map 1858 shows in green albanian settlements:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... s_1859.jpg
emigration of albanians to other countries > Diaspora:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanians#Diaspora
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Albanians
Albanian Diaspora Europe map: http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?tit ... 1002120411
example for an "albanian" town in Italy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piana_degli_Albanesi

[carinthiangirl]

two variants of the name

[carinthiangirl]

there are two variants of the name i stated at example:
Rexhpi and Rexhepi which both pronounced sound very similar to Richichi/Rechichi.