Italian protectorate over Albania in Gjirokastra. Then the Italian forces advanced and they captured Ioannina ( or ). In this environment of occupation and fragmentation of territories in Southern Albania and Northwestern Greece, Italian troops occupied Samarina (, or ) and other villages of the Pindus for a few days at the end of August 1917 to the first two days of September 1917. History In 1917, during the occupation of the territories of Albania and Northern Epirus, the Italians tried to win over the Aromanians to convert Aromanian-Romanian relations in favour of Italy, based on historical and linguistic relations and to change the pro-Romanian Aromanians into pro-Italian Aromanians. In the brief period of Italian occupation of southern Albania, when Italian forces also entered Greek territory in 1917, Aromanians from several villages of the Pindus mountain requested autonomy under the protection of Italy, turning to Romania for help. Letters were sent to several countries, from mayors and representatives of 13 villages." A proclamation was sent on 29 August 1917, from Samarina signed by seven representatives, who had the role of a temporary committee and requested assistance and protection from the Italian Consulate of Ioannina. One of the members of the provisionary committee, Alcibiades Diamandi, went to Ioannina to get an answer. There was an immediate response the next day from the Romanian and the Italian consulates: A clear answer that these actions were wrong and inappropriate, were not approved by anyone, and could not be supported by any party. One day later, the Italian army departed from Greek territory. From 3 to 7 September the Greek forces entered all the villages unopposed and, on 7 September, they arrested seven men in Samarina, giving an end to the events. These events are described in later bibliography as an attempt to form a "Principality of the Pindus", while in other sources, no name is assigned to the events of 1917. Later, in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and 1920, an Aromanian delegation requested autonomy for the Aromanians. Villages and people involved A letter to the Prime Minister of Romania Ion C. Brătianu, sent on 27 July 1917, was signed by mayors and notables of the following villages: Samarina, Avdella (), Perivoli (), Vovousa (, or ), Metsovo (), Konitsa (), Pades (), Kranea (), Distrato (), Laista (), Iliochori (), Armata () and Smixi (). Furthermore, the assistance request to the