Prince of Achaea
Sovereign of the Principality of Achaea, a Crusader state in medieval Greece / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Prince of Achaea was the ruler of the Principality of Achaea, one of the crusader states founded in Greece in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade (1202–1204). The principality witnessed various overlords during its more than two centuries of existence, initially, Achaea was a vassal state of the Kingdom of Thessalonica under Boniface I of house Montferrat, then of the Latin Empire of Constantinople under the houses of Flanders-Courtenay, which had supplanted the Byzantine Empire, and later of the Angevin Kingdom of Naples. During the Angevin period, the princes were often absent, represented in the Principality by their baillis, who governed in their name. After 1404 the principality became sovereign as the Genoese Centurione II Zaccaria bought from the Neapolitan crown the princely rights.
Prince of Achaea | |
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Princeps Achaiae | |
Details | |
First monarch | William I of Champlitte |
Last monarch | John Asen Zaccaria (ruling) |
Formation | 1205 |
Abolition | 1432 (loss of the principality) 1454 (exile of the last Prince) 6 April 1933 (last use of title) |
Residence | Andravida |
Appointer | Hereditary, vassal of the King of Thessalonica, the Latin Emperor, the King of Naples and by 1404 independent |
The principality was one of the longest-lasting of the Latin states in Greece, outliving the Latin Empire itself by 171 years. It did not come to an end until 1432, when the Byzantine prince Thomas Palaiologos inherited the last remnants of the Principality through marriage to the daughter of the last prince, Centurione Zaccaria. With the Principality gone, the title of Prince of Achaea became vacant. However at 1453 during the great Morean revolt of 1453-1454, John Asen Zaccaria, son of Centurione revived the Principality. He was confirmed as Prince by the Kingdom of Naples, the legitimate overlords of the Principality since 1267 and by Venice, though on 1455 John was forced to exile. The title was revived more than two centuries later, with Antonio di Tocco, a descendant of Thomas Palaiologos, proclaiming himself as the titular Prince of Achaea in 1642. The sequence of titular princes that began with Antonio di Tocco lasted until the death of his descendant Maria Maddalena Capece Galeota in 1933, whereafter the title became vacant once more.