Marin Barleci ( lat. Marinus Barletius, it. Marino Barlezio), was born and raised in Shkodra. In 1474, the Ottoman Empire besieged Shkodra and Barleci participated in the successful defense of the town, both in the first siege in 1474 and the second in 1478. Both Barleci's parents were killed in the sieges. When Venice ceded Shkodra to the Ottomans in 1479, Barleci escaped to Italy where he would become a scholar of history, classical literature and the Latin language. Soon after Barleci arrived in Venice, he was given a stall at the Rialto meat market as a temporary means of financial aid. In 1494 became a priest after his theological studies in Venice and Padova, and soon was appointed to serve at St. Stephen's Church in Piovene. Barleci's first work was The Siege of Shkodra (Latin: De obsidione Scodrensi, Venice, 1504). It was published several times in Latin and translated into Italian, Polish, French, Albanian, and English. Barleci wrote this work as an eyewitness. Of this work, acclaimed Albanian author Ismail Kadare wrote that "if one were to search for a literary creation wholly worthy of the expression 'monumental work,' it would be hard to find a better example than The Siege of Shkodra." Barleci's second and largest work was The History of Scanderbeg, fully entitled About the excellent Prince of the Epirots, George Castrioti's, life, character and deeds, especially against the Turks. Because of his famous exploits he was surnamed Scanderbeg, that is, Alexander the Great. Thirteen books by Marin Barleci of Shkodra (Latin: De Vita Moribus Ac Rebus Praecipue Aduersus Turcas, Gestis, Georgii Castrioti, Clarissimi Epirotarum Principis, qui propter celeberrima facinora, Scanderbegus, hoc est, Alexander Magnus, cognominatus fuit, libri Tredecim, per Marinum Barletium Scodrensem conscripti). It was published in Latin between 1508 and 1510 and translated into Portuguese, German, French, English, Serbian, and Albanian. Unlike The Siege of Shkodra, Barleci relied on the testimonies of others to produce this work.