William Frangipani ( it, Guglielmo Frangipani; el, Γουλιέλμος Φραγκιπάνης; died 1337) was the

Latin Archbishop of Patras The Latin Archbishopric of Patras is the see of Patras in the period in which its incumbents belonged to the Latin or Western Church. This period began in 1205 with the installation in the see of a Catholic archbishop following the Fourth Crusad ...

and ruler of the Barony of Patras in

Frankish Greece The ''Frankokratia'' ( el, Φραγκοκρατία, la, Francocratia, sometimes anglicized as Francocracy, "rule of the Franks"), also known as ''Latinokratia'' ( el, Λατινοκρατία, la, Latinocratia, "rule of the Latins") and ...

from 1317 until his death in 1337.

Biography

A member of the Franciscan Order, William Frangipani was the scion of a prominent Roman family.Topping (1975), p. 118 Occupying the see of Patras since 3 January 1317, he proved an able and energetic prelate, and during his tenure he acted as a virtually autonomous lord. Frangipani entertained close ties to the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

—he became a Venetian citizen on 30 January 1336—and in 1321, as the

Principality of Achaea The Principality of Achaea () or Principality of Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire, which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom ...

was threatened by

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

advances under

Andronikos Asen Andronikos Asen (? - 1322?) was the ''epitropos'' ("steward, overseer") of the Byzantine province of the Morea between 1316 and 1322. Life Andronikos Asen was the son of Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen III and Irene, who was the sister of Byzantine e ...

, headed an unsuccessful movement to offer the Republic control of what remained of the Principality. Nevertheless, in 1325, he participated along with the other magnates and feudal lords of the Principality in the ceremonial reception of the new Prince,

John of Gravina John of Gravina (1294 – 5 April 1336), also known as John of Anjou, was Count of Gravina 1315–1336, Prince of Achaea 1318–1332, Duke of Durazzo 1332–1336 and ruler of the Kingdom of Albania (although he never used a royal title). He was ...

, at Glarentsa. In 1329 he was named as ''

bailli A bailiff (french: bailli, ) was the king's administrative representative during the ''ancien régime'' in northern France, where the bailiff was responsible for the application of justice and control of the administration and local finances in h ...

'' of the Principality, as John of Gravina had left the Morea for Italy. He was the first cleric to be appointed to the post, which he kept until 1331. Aside from adjudicating differences between the various feudal lords, his main responsibility during those years was the provisioning of the Achaean fortresses with grain, which had to be imported from Italy.Bon (1969), p. 451 After 1330, following Papal policy, he opposed the

Catalans Catalans (Catalan, French and Occitan: ''catalans''; es, catalanes, Italian: ''catalani'', sc, cadelanos) are a Romance ethnic group native to Catalonia, who speak Catalan. The current official category of "Catalans" is that of the citize ...

of the

Duchy of Athens The Duchy of Athens (Greek: Δουκᾶτον Ἀθηνῶν, ''Doukaton Athinon''; Catalan: ''Ducat d'Atenes'') was one of the Crusader states set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade as part of th ...

, repeatedly

excommunicating Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

them. Although hitherto a loyal servant of the Principality, after the arrival of a new ''bailli'', Bertrand des Baux, in early 1336, his relations with the princely administration deteriorated quickly: William refused to pay homage to the Prince any longer, and his acquisition of Venetian citizenship signalled the definitive breach. Consequently, when Frangipani died in 1337, Bertrand laid siege to Patras hoping to reduce it to obedience before the arrival of his successor,

Roger Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

. Pope Benedict XII reacted by declaring the city "land of the Holy Roman Church" and placed the Principality under the

interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits persons, certain active Church individuals or groups from participating in certain rites, or that the rites and services of the church are banished from ...

. As a result, Bertrand had to retreat, and the Archbishop became independent, although his secular fiefs still owed allegiance and services to the Prince.Topping (1975), pp. 124–125

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Frangipani, William 13th-century births 1337 deaths Latin archbishops of Patras Barons of the Principality of Achaea Baillis of the Principality of Achaea 14th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops Clergy from Rome Franciscan bishops 14th-century people of the Principality of Achaea