Mazreku (Epirus)
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Mazreku (Epirus)
The Mazreku, or alternatively, the Mazaraki, Mazarech and Masarachi, were a historical Albanian tribe in medieval Epirus and Thessaly. They appear in historical records as one of the Albanian tribes which raided and invaded Thessaly after 1318 and throughout the 14th century were active in the struggles of the Albanian Despotate of Arta against the Despotate of Epirus. Name and Toponomy Toponyms connected to the Mazaraki are spread widely across Albanian-inhabited lands; the Mazaraki of Epirus are the namesake of two toponyms (both called ''Mazaraki'') near Ioannina and near Paramythia. Additionally, the toponym ''Mazaraki'' exists elsewhere in Epirus, in the eparchy of Patras, whilst the toponym ''Mazarakia'' is present in the eparchy of Margariti; there is also a ''Mazarakati'' in Cephalonia and ''Mazarakianika'' in Attica-Boeotia. John VI Kantakouzenos's ''History'', which was written in the second half of the 14th century, mentions that the "''Albanian tribes of Mazaraki, Bua ...
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Albanian Tribes
The Albanian tribes () form a historical mode of social organization (''farefisní'') in Albania and the southwestern Balkans characterized by a common culture, often common patrilineal kinship ties and shared social ties. The ''fis'' ( sq-definite, fisi; commonly translated as "tribe", also as "clan" or "kin" community) stands at the center of Albanian organization based on kinship relations, a concept that can be found among southern Albanians also with the term ''farë'' ( sq-definite, fara). Inherited from ancient Illyrian social structures, Albanian tribal society emerged in the early Middle Ages as the dominant form of social organization among Albanians. The development of feudalism came to both antagonize it, and slowly integrate aspects of it in Albanian feudal society, as most noble families themselves came from these tribes and depended on their support. This process stopped after the Ottoman conquest of Albania and the Balkans in the late 15th century and was follow ...
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Peter Losha
Pjetër Losha was an Albanian clan leader in medieval Epirus. He belonged to the Losha ''fis'' (clan or tribe) and was the leader of a combined force of his own clan and the ''fis'' of Mazaraki and Malakasi. In 1360, he became Despot of Arta, Rogoi and the area of Amphilochia. He died in 1374 and was succeeded by his close ally, Gjin Bua Shpata. The '' Chronicle of the Tocco'' is an important primary source for his life and the Albanians in medieval Epirus in general. Life Losha's genealogy or birth date is unknown. He belonged to the Losha clan, which according to Aristidh Kola, was a branch of Bua tribe. Presumably he was born in Epirus as his tribe was from there as well. The word ''lios'' means "pockmark" in Albanian. He was part of the Albanian attacks in the remnants of Byzantine Epirus. In 1358–59, Albanian clans overran the regional feudal rulers and established themselves under Gjin Bua Shpata and Pjetër Losha. In 1358 the Albanians overran Epirus, Acarnania an ...
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Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4.7 million inhabitants, including 1.2 million in and around the capital city of Palermo, it is both the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea. Sicily is named after the Sicels, who inhabited the eastern part of the island during the Iron Age. Sicily has a rich and unique culture in #Art and architecture, arts, Music of Sicily, music, #Literature, literature, Sicilian cuisine, cuisine, and Sicilian Baroque, architecture. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently high. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate. It is separated from Calabria by the Strait of Messina. It is one of the five Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with s ...
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Palazzo Adriano
Palazzo Adriano ( IPA: , , Gasca Queirazza, Giuliano (ed.) (1990). ''Dizionario di toponomastica. Storia e significato dei nomi geografici italiani'', p. 468. UTET. ) is a town and ''comune'' of Arbëresh origin in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Located in the heart of Sicania on the northern slopes of Monte delle Rose, almost equidistant from Palermo and Agrigento, it is a town of Arbëreshë origin. Although the inhabitants have abandoned the use of the Arbëresh language, the town's inhabitants preserve the Byzantine rite in their liturgy. Palazzo Adriano is best known internationally for being among the filming locations of the Oscar-winning film ''Cinema Paradiso''. The local economy is primarily dedicated to agriculture. History The first mention of a ''casale Adrianum'' (farmstead of Adriano) dates from before 1060 under the reign of the Norman Roger I of Sicily. More reliable is information about the hamlet of Palazzo Adriano reported in a ...
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Corfu
Corfu ( , ) or Kerkyra (, ) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands; including its Greek islands, small satellite islands, it forms the margin of Greece's northwestern frontier. The island is part of the Corfu (regional unit), Corfu regional unit, and is administered by three municipalities with the islands of Othonoi, Ereikoussa, and Mathraki. The principal city of the island (pop. 32,095) is also named Corfu (city), Corfu. Corfu is home to the Ionian University. The island is bound up with the history of Greece from the beginnings of Greek mythology, and is marked by numerous battles and conquests. Ancient Korkyra (polis), Korkyra took part in the Battle of Sybota which was a catalyst for the Peloponnesian War, and, according to Thucydides, the largest naval battle between Greek city states until that time. Thucydides also reports that Korkyra was one of the three great naval powers of Greece in the fifth century BCE, along with Classical Athens, At ...
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Gjon Zenebishi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Gjirokastër and Vagenetia. Name Zenevisi can be found with different spellings in historical documents. His name in modern English is usually ''John Zenevisi'' Elsie 2003, p. 53: "Lord John Sarbissa (Zenevisi) was lord of the town of Gjirokastra and the region of Vagenetia and Paracalo (Parakalamo)." or ''John Sarbissa''. In Italian, his name was spelled as ''Giovanni Sarbissa''. In Albanian, his name is mostly spelled as ''Gjin Zenebishi'' (less commonly as ''Zenebishti''), his given name scarcely spelled ''Gjon'', as well. Life John was born into the Zenebishi family which was a wealthy and noble Albanian family from the Zagoria region, between Përmet and Gjirokastër. He was one of the most notable members of this family. After the Ottomans captured the region of Epirus, some members of the family fled to Morea, while other members held h ...
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Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in Southern Albania, southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea level. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is overlooked by Gjirokastër Fortress, where the Gjirokastër National Folk Festival is held every five years. It is the birthplace of former Albanians, Albanian Communism, communist leader Enver Hoxha, and author Ismail Kadare. The city appears in the historical record dating back in 1336 by its medieval Greek name, , as part of the Byzantine Empire. It first developed in the hill where the Gjirokastër Fortress is located. In this period, Gjirokastër was contested between the Despotate of Epirus and the Albanian clan of Zenevisi family, Zenebishi under John Zenevisi, Gjon Zenebishi who made it his capital in 1417. It was taken by ...
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Papingo
Papingo (, also transcribed as Papigko, Papigo) is a former community (1919-2010) in the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit, Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform (the so-called Kallikratis Law) it has become part of the municipality of Zagori, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 34.131 km2. It is located in the Vikos–Aoös National Park. Papingo consists of two villages: Megalo Papingo (Greek: Μεγάλο Πάπιγκο) and Mikro Papingo (Greek: Μικρό Πάπιγκο), ''greater'' and ''lesser'' Papingo. There is a single road that provides access first to Megalo Papingo and a kilometre further to Mikro Papingo. Geography The village of Papingo is located very near the northern end of the Vikos Gorge and is inside the Vikos–Aoös National Park. It attracts many hikers and mountaineers from around the world. The Vikos Gorge is the largest canyon in Greece and arguably in all of Europe: it i ...
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Esau De' Buondelmonti
Esau de' Buondelmonti () was the ruler of Ioannina and its surrounding area (central Epirus) from 1385 until his death in 1411, with the Byzantine title of despot. Life Esau was the son of the Florentine nobleman Manente and Lapa Acciaiuoli, sister of Niccolò Acciaiuoli of Corinth. Esau had come to Greece to seek success like his Acciaiuoli kinsmen, but in 1379 he had been captured in battle against Thomas Preljubović of Epirus. After he spent several years of captivity, Esau succeeded his captor by marrying the latter's widow, Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina in February 1385. Esau reversed the unpopular policies of the tyrannical Thomas, recalling the exiled nobles and reinstating Matthew, the bishop of Ioannina. The new ruler pursued a pacifying policy, and sought accommodation with both the Albanian clans and the Byzantine Empire. In 1386 a Byzantine embassy arrived at Ioannina and invested Esau with the court dignity of '' despotes'' (despot). Although Esau w ...
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Gjin Bua Shpata
Gjin Bua Shpata (sometimes anglicized as ''John Spata'') ( 1358 – 29 October 1399) was an Albanian ruler in Western Greece with the title of Despot. Together with Pjetër Losha, he led raids into Epirus, Acarnania and Aetolia in 1358. He was recognized as Despot by the titular Eastern Roman Emperor in the early 1360s and ruled Aetolia (1360s–?), Angelokastron (?–1399), Naupactus (1378–1399), and Arta (1370s–1399). He was born sometime in the first half of the 14th century in Epirus, as his father was a ruler in the region. Name The word ''spata'', in Albanian ''shpatë'', pl. ''shpata'', 'sword'. Hammond thus believes that he was called "John the Sword". Spatha being a type of Roman sword. Life Karl Hopf's genealogy of the Shpata family is "altogether inaccurate"; according to it, his father was Pietro, the lord of Angelokastron and Delvina (1354) during the reign of Serbian emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55). It is known that Shpata had a brother, Skurra ...
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Simeon Uroš
Simeon Uroš ( sr-Cyrl, Симеон Урош, ; 1326–1370), nicknamed Siniša (), was a self-proclaimed Emperor of Serbs and Greeks, from 1356 to 1370. He was son of Serbian King Stephen Uroš III and Byzantine Princess Maria Palaiologina. Initially, he was awarded the title of despot in 1346, and appointed governor of southern Epirus and Acarnania in 1347 by his half-brother, Serbian Emperor Stephen Dušan. After Dušan's death in 1355, the Serbian throne passed to Dušan's son Stephen Uroš V, but despot Simeon decided to seize the opportunity in order to impose himself as co-ruler and lord of all southern provinces of the Serbian Empire. That led him to conflict with his nephew in 1356, when Simeon started to expand his control in southern regions of the Empire, trying to take Thessaly and Macedonia. He proclaimed himself ''Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks'', creating a separate state, centered in regions of Thessaly and Epirus, where he ruled until his death in 1370. ...
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