Arianitto Arianiti | |
---|---|
Prince of Macedonia (titular) | |
Reign | 8 May 1530 – 16 November 1551 |
Predecessor | Constantine Arianiti |
Successor | Andrea Angeli |
Died | 16 November 1551 Torchiara |
Spouse | Unknown |
Issue | Andronica Arianiti [1] |
Dynasty | Arianiti |
Father | Constantine Arianiti |
Mother | Francesca of Montferrat |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Arianitto Arianiti (died 16 November 1551), self-styled as Arianitto Comneno [2] (Latin: Arianita Comnenus), [3] was a 16th-century Italian nobleman of Albanian descent, the only son of the diplomat and pretender Constantine Arianiti. After his father's death in 1530, Arianitto continued Constantine's pretensions, styling himself as the 'Prince of Macedonia', but dropping the other titles used by his father. He served as a captain in the papal army in Rome until his death in battle in 1551, which ended the male line of the Arianiti family in Italy.
Arianitto Cominato Arianiti was the only son of Constantine Arianiti. [4] Constantine was an Albanian noble who lived in exile in Italy owing to the conquest of his homeland by the Ottoman Empire. Following in the footsteps of his father Gjergj Arianiti, who had fought the Ottomans during their invasion of Albania, Constantine had sought to establish himself as a leadership figure among the Balkan refugees in Italy. Constantine also partook in ultimately unsuccessful schemes to organize expeditions to fight the Ottomans. In the 1490s, Arianitto's father assumed the titles 'Prince of Macedonia' and 'Duke of Achaea', making concrete claims to lordship over territories in Greece. [5] Arianitto's mother was Francesca of Montferrat, the (probably illegitimate) daughter of Boniface III, Marquis of Montferrat (r. 1483–1494). The Montferrat ruling family, the House of Palaeologus-Montferrat, were distant relatives of the last few Byzantine emperors, being descended from emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos (r. 1282–1328). [6]
Upon Constantine's death on 8 May 1530, Arianitto inherited his father's titles and claims. Although Constantine had claimed three titles: Prince of Macedonia, Duke of Achaea and Despot of the Morea, [7] the only title of the three attested to have been assumed in pretense by Arianitto was 'Prince of Macedonia'. [8] [5] Arianitto lived with his mother for a time in the mountain village of Montefiore Conca, where Constantine had spent his last few years, though the two later moved to Rome. In Rome, Arianitto joined the papal military, rising through the ranks until he was eventually made captain of a contingent of soldiers. He was married at some point, though the name of his wife has not been preserved in the sources. Arianitto was killed in battle on 16 November 1551 at Torchiara during a conflict between Pope Julius III (r. 1550–1555) and Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma (r. 1547–1586). With Arianitto's death, the male line of the Arianiti family in Italy was rendered extinct. [4] Arianitto had only a single child, a daughter, who married into the Trivulzio family. [9] Although more legitimate heirs existed, such as the Tocco family, descended from Arianitto's eldest sister, [4] the title of 'Prince of Macedonia' was after Arianitto's death claimed by his cousins of the Angelo Flavio Comneno family, supposed descendants of the Angelos dynasty of Byzantine emperors. [10]
The House of Palaiologos, also found in English-language literature as Palaeologus or Palaeologue, was a Byzantine Greek noble family that rose to power and produced the last and longest-ruling dynasty in the history of the Byzantine Empire. Their rule as Emperors and Autocrats of the Romans lasted almost two hundred years, from 1259 to the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Andreas Palaiologos, sometimes anglicized to Andrew Palaeologus, was the eldest son of Thomas Palaiologos, Despot of the Morea. Thomas was a brother of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the final Byzantine emperor. After his father's death in 1465, Andreas was recognized as the titular Despot of the Morea and from 1483 onwards, he also claimed the title "Emperor of Constantinople".
Gjergj Arianiti (1383–1462) was an Albanian feudal lord who led several successful campaigns against the Ottoman Empire. He was the father of Donika, Skanderbeg's wife, as well as the grand-uncle of Moisi Arianit Golemi. Gjergj Arianiti was Skanderbeg's ally within the League of Lezhë before abandoning the alliance after the defeat in Berat in 1450. He later returned. Robert Elsie emphasizes that Arianiti was often Skanderbeg's rival. He allied with the Kingdom of Naples in 1446, left his alliance with Skanderbeg by 1449 and allied with Venice in 1456. However, his daughter married Skanderbeg and he remained officially part of the League of Lezhe, continuing to fight Ottomans successfully up to his death in 1462.
The Arianiti were a noble Albanian family that ruled large parts of Albania and neighboring territories from the 11th to the 16th century. Their domain stretched across the Shkumbin valley and the old Via Egnatia road and reached east to today's Bitola.
The House of Tocco was an Italian noble family from Benevento that came to prominence in the late 14th and 15th centuries, when they ruled various territories in western Greece as Counts Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos and Despots of Epirus. During their brief period of rule in Greece, they were one of the most ambitious and able Latin dynasties in the region, and they were one of the few to leave descendants lasting until modern times.
Carlo III Tocco (1464–1518) was the titular despot of Epirus and count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from the death of his father Leonardo III Tocco c. 1503 to his own death in 1518. Carlo lived in Rome, where he received pensions from both the Papacy and the Kingdom of Naples. As an adult, Carlo worked as a military officer, serving both the Papacy and Emperor Maximilian I.
Constantine Cominato Arianiti also known as Constantine Komnenos Arianites, was a 15th and 16th-century Albanian nobleman, military leader, diplomat and pretender who lived most of his life in exile in Italy due to the conquest of his homeland by the Ottoman Empire. Constantine sought to establish himself as a leader among the Christian Balkan refugees in Italy and claimed lordship over various former Christian lands in Greece, using the titles Prince of Macedonia, Duke of Achaea and Despot of the Morea.
Since its fall, the issue of succession to the Byzantine Empire has been a major point of contention both geopolitically, with different states laying claim to its legacy and inheritance, and among the surviving members of the Byzantine nobility and their descendants. Historically, the most prominent claims have been those of the Ottoman Empire, which conquered Byzantium in 1453 and ruled from its former capital, Constantinople; the Russian Empire, as the most powerful state practising Eastern Orthodox Christianity; and various nobles and figures in Western Europe of increasingly spurious and questionable imperial descent.
Leonardo IV Tocco was the titular Despot of Epirus and Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from the death of his father Carlo III Tocco in 1518 to his own death in 1564. His mother was Andronica Arianiti, daughter of Constantine Arianiti, also a claimant to various lands in Greece. From his maternal grandfather, Leonardo was granted the fortress of Refrancore, which he held under the title signore (lord).
The Angelo Flavio Comneno or Angeli family were a Venetian noble family of Albanian descent who claimed descent from the Angelos dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. In the 16th century, the family founded the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, a knightly order with invented Byzantine connections. From the 16th century onwards, the heads of the family styled themselves as "Prince of Macedonia, Duke and Count of Drivasto and Durazzo", though other titles were also sometimes used.
Gian Antonio Lazier, also known under his claimed official name Ioannes IX Antonius I Angelus Flavius Comnenus Lascaris Palaeologus, and various variations thereof, was an 18th-century Italian impostor and pretender. Born of lowly origins in the Aosta Valley in Italy, Lazier claimed his last name to be a corruption of the surname Laskaris, an imperial dynasty of the Byzantine Empire. Also claiming connections to the Angelos, Komnenos and Palaiologos dynasties as their supposed last legitimate descendant, Lazier claimed the style 'prince of the line of the empire of the east'. Through various noble titles, Lazier claimed to be the rightful ruler of a vast number of former territories of the Byzantine Empire as well as of a selection of other eastern lands. He also claimed to represent the legitimate Grand Master of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, a chivalric order with invented Byzantine connections.
Don Fernando Palaiologos or Paleologo was a 15th and 16th-century nobleman of Greek descent who lived in Italy. After the death of Andreas Palaiologos in 1502, Fernando claimed the title of Despot of the Morea. Though Andreas Palaiologos is generally believed to have been childless, Fernando might have been his son, though possibly illegitimate, and through Andreas possibly a grandnephew of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the final Byzantine emperor.
Andrea Angeli was the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order of Saint George from c. 1545 to 1580. Andrea and his brother Paolo were the founders of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and were papally recognized claimants to descent from the Angelos dynasty of Byzantine emperors. Andrea claimed the title "Duke and Count of Drivasto and Durazzo", and from the death of Arianitto Arianiti in 1551, also claimed the title "Prince of Macedonia".
Giovanni Demetrio Angeli was an early member of the Albanian-Italian Angelo Flavio Comneno family, which claimed descent from the Angelos dynasty of Byzantine emperors. His later relatives attributed him various titles, such as "Prince of Achaea and Macedonia" and "Prince of Cilicia".
Giovanni Andrea I Angelo Flavio Comneno was the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order of Saint George from 1592 to 1623 and from 1627 to 1634. In addition to the position of grand master, Giovanni Andrea also claimed the titles "Prince of Macedonia" and "Duke and Count of Drivasto and Durazzo". Giovanni Andrea oversaw a period of internationalization of the Constantinian Order, and despite repeated challenges to his position managed to maintain the widespread recognition of his order and family.
Girolamo II Angelo Flavio Comneno was the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order of Saint George from 1679 to 1687. Girolamo's family, the Angelo Flavio Comneno, claimed descent from the Angelos dynasty of Byzantine emperors, and Girolamo also claimed the titles "Prince of Macedonia" and "Duke and Count of Drivasto and Durazzo".
Giovanni Andrea II Angelo Flavio Comneno was the Grand Master of the Constantinian Order of Saint George from 1687 to 1698. Giovanni Andrea's family, the Angelo Flavio Comneno, claimed descent from the Angelos dynasty of Byzantine emperors, and Giovanni Andrea also claimed the titles "Prince of Macedonia" and "Duke and Count of Drivasto and Durazzo". The last male member of his family, Giovanni Andrea was the last grand master descended from the order's founder, Andrea Angeli. In 1687, Giovanni Andrea sold the position of grand master to Francesco Farnese, the Duke of Parma, and thereafter lived as a castellan in Piacenza.
Francesca of Montferrat was a noblewoman of the Palaeologus-Montferrat family, a cadet branch of the Byzantine Palaiologos dynasty. She married Costantino Arianiti Comneno of the Arianiti family.
Pietrina Francone was a 15th-century Italian noblewoman from the Francone family in Apulia. Her father was Oliviero Francone, an Aragonese officer in Lecce. Through her marriage to Albanian Prince Regnant Gjergj Arianiti, she became the Princess Consort of the Arianiti Principality.