Dagnum ( sq, Danjë or Dejë, sr, Danj, it, Dagno) was a town, bishopric and important medieval fortress located on the territory of present-day

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...

, which has been under

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hung ...

n, Venetian and Ottoman control and remains a Latin Catholic

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

. It is close to the modern day town of

Vau i Dejës Vau i Dejës (), English: Deja's Ford, is a town and a municipality in Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. It was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Bushat, Hajmel, Shllak, Temal, Vau i Dej� ...

History

In period 1081—1116 Dagnum belonged to the kingdom of

Duklja Duklja ( sh-Cyrl, Дукља; el, Διόκλεια, Diokleia; la, Dioclea) was a medieval South Slavic state which roughly encompassed the territories of modern-day southeastern Montenegro, from the Bay of Kotor in the west to the Bojana R ...

. The

Ragusa Ragusa is the historical name of Dubrovnik. It may also refer to: Places Croatia * the Republic of Ragusa (or Republic of Dubrovnik), the maritime city-state of Ragusa * Cavtat (historically ' in Italian), a town in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Cro ...

n-Serbian peace treaty was signed in Danj on 25 March 1326, attended by '' vojvoda'' (Slavic count) Mladen and ''

čelnik ''Čelnik'' ( sr-cyr, челник) was a high court title in the Kingdom of Serbia, Serbian Empire and Serbian Despotate. In its early form, the holder was entrusted with the security of property belonging to the Orthodox Church from the aristocr ...

Đuraš Ilijić Đuraš Ilijić ( sr-cyrl, Ђураш Илијић, 1326–62) was a nobleman who served the Serbian monarchs Stefan Dečanski (r. 1321–1331), Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–1355) and Uroš V (r. 1355–1371), from 1326 until his death in 1362. He had ...

. Until 1395 Sati (whose

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

was

Koja Zaharia Koja Zaharia or Koja Zakaria ( it, Coia Zaccaria) (? – before 1442) was an Albanian nobleman and a member of the Zaharia family. Name In Ragusan documents he is referred to as Kojčin or Gojčin. Because of that, many scholars like Nicola ...

) and Dagnum belonged to a fief of

Kostadin Balšić Kostadin is a South Slavic masculine given name, a variant of '' Konstantin'' (Constantine). It may refer to: * Kostadin Adzhov (born 1991), Bulgarian footballer * Kostadin Alakushev, Bulgarian revolutionary in the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Re ...

and was part of the

Lordship of Zeta The Principality of Zeta ( sr, Кнежевина Зета, Kneževina Zeta) is a historiographical name for a late medieval principality located in the southern parts of modern Montenegro and northern parts of modern Albania, around the Lake of ...

under

Đurađ II Balšić Đurađ Stracimirović ( sr-cyr, Ђурађ Страцимировић; 1385 – April 1403), or Đurađ II, was the Lord of Zeta from 1385 to 1403, as a member of the Balšić noble family. He was the son of Stracimir Balšić, and succee ...

. In 1395 Balšić ceded Sati (with Dagnum) together with Scutari and Drivast to

Venetian Republic 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, ...

(in order to create a buffer zone between remaining part of his Zeta and Ottoman Empire), but Zaharia refused to allow Venetians to take control over the Sati. He proclaimed himself the Lord of Sati and Dagnum ''("dominus Sabatensis et Dagnensis")'' after he captured Dagnum in 1396 which became the seat of his domain. In 1429 Stefan Maramonte, supported by Ottomans and forces of Gojčin Crnojević and

Little Tanush Tanush Dukagjin ( 1423–33), known as Little Tanush, was an Albanian nobleman, a member of the Dukagjini family, the son of Pal Dukagjini (died 1393). He had four brothers: Progon (d. 1394), Pal II (d. 1402), Andrea (d. 1416), and Gjon Dukagjini ...

, plundered the region around Scutari and

Ulcinj Ulcinj ( cyrl, Улцињ, ; ) is a town on the southern coast of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 10,707 (2011), the majority being Albanians. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic coa ...

and attacked Drivast in 1429, but failed to capture it. While Venetian forces were busy fighting to repel this attack, the Ottoman forces captured Dagnum and territory of Dukagjini and entrusted it to be governed by Ottoman voivode Ismail. After receiving incorrect information about the death of the Ottoman Sultan,

Murad II Murad II ( ota, مراد ثانى, Murād-ı sānī, tr, II. Murad, 16 June 1404 – 3 February 1451) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1421 to 1444 and again from 1446 to 1451. Murad II's reign was a period of important economic deve ...

, Gjergj Arianiti raised a large rebellion against the Ottomans in 1432. Nicholas Dukagjini, however, took advantage of this rebellion and conquered his family's former lands, accepting Venetian suzerainty. He yielded Dagnum to Venice. Venice soon learned that Sultan Murad was actually alive. Fearing that Venice would be provoking the Ottomans, they broke all relations with Dukagjini, and transferred Dagnum to Turkish hands by 1435. Members of the Albanian

League of Lezhë The League of Lezhë ( sq, Lidhja e Lezhës), also commonly referred to as the Albanian League ( sq, Lidhja Arbërore), was a military and diplomatic alliance of the Albanian aristocracy, created in the city of Lezhë on 2 March 1444. The Lea ...

, Nikollë Dukagjini and

Lekë Zaharia Lekë Zaharia (? – 1444), was an Albanian nobleman from Zaharia family. He was the only son of his father Koja Zaharia and mother Bosa who also had one daughter, Bolja, who named her son Koja after her father. League of Lezhë In 1444 ...

, lord of Dagnum, were in dispute over who should marry Irene Dushmani, the only child of Lekë Dushmani, prince of Zadrima. The Albanian princes were invited to the wedding of

Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

's younger sister, Mamica, who was to wed

Muzaka Thopia The Muzaka were an Albanian noble family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe (southern Albania) in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan. The earliest historical document that mention Muzak ...

in 1445. Irene entered and hostilities soon began. Dukagjini asked Irene to marry him, but a drunken Zaharia saw this and assaulted Dukagjini. Some of the nobles attempted to end the fight, but this only led to more people being involved and resulted in many deaths until peace was established. Neither of the two antagonists had suffered any physical damage, but Dukagjini was morally humiliated. In an act of revenge, Dukagjini ambushed and killed Zaharia in 1447. This resulted in the town's hostility towards the Albanian League. Venice quickly sent a force into Dagnum and the local population gave their support to Venice, including Zaharia's mother. Venice then set out to capture the rest of Zaharia's holdings, including Sati, Gladri and Dushmani, with Zaharia's mother's agreement. Skanderbeg had ordered the return of these towns, and Drivast, to Albanian hands, however, Venice refused. The Albanian League sent envoys to their northern neighbors,

Principality of Zeta The Principality of Zeta ( sr, Кнежевина Зета, Kneževina Zeta) is a historiographical name for a late medieval principality located in the southern parts of modern Montenegro and northern parts of modern Albania, around the Lake of ...

(under

Stefan Crnojević Stefan Crnojević ( sr-cyr, Стефан Црнојевић), known as Stefanica (Стефаница; 1426–1465) was the Lord of Zeta between 1451 and 1465. Until 1441, as a knyaz he was one of many governors in Upper Zeta, which at that ...

) and the

Despotate of Serbia The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire a ...

(under

Đurađ Branković Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Ank ...

) to aid the League against their Venetian enemies. Branković expressed his willingness to help against Venice, however, made it clear he would not aid against their common Ottoman enemies.

ordered the invasion of Dagnum in 1447. The Venetians, however, saw this city as important, more important in fact than their anti-Ottoman war. Venice offered an award to anyone who could assassinate Skanderbeg. Venice even sent out envoys to the Ottomans to attack Albania once more. Skanderbeg, however, heard that Venice sent out a force to protect Dagnum. He then left a small force to continue the siege on the city. In the meantime, Skanderbeg marched from the town to meet the Venetian army at the

Drin River The Drin (; sq, Drin or ; mk, Дрим, Drim ) is a river in Southern and Southeastern Europe with two distributaries one discharging into the Adriatic Sea and the other one into the Buna River. Its catchment area extends across Alba ...

. What would be known as the

Battle of the Drin A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

in 1448, the League of Lezhë defeated the Venetians. Venetian presence was reduced to small garrisons within several walled cities, including Dagnum. The Venetians opened up negotiations for peace with the Albanians in Alessio and peace was signed between the various representatives of both parties on 4 October 1448. The signatories agreed that Venice would pay 1,400 ducats a year to Skanderbeg and his male heirs and that Dagnum and all lands surrounding it would be relinquished to Venice.

Lekë Dukagjini Lekë III Dukagjini (1410–1481), mostly known as Lekë Dukagjini, was a 15th-century member of the Albanian nobility, from the Dukagjini family. A contemporary of Skanderbeg, Dukagjini is known for the '' Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit'', a code of ...

fought the Venetians over the control of Dagnum since 1456. In 1456, Dukagjini captured the city, but Venice retook the city by August 1457. Venetian forces led by

Andrea Venier Andrea Venier ( fl. 15th century) was a 15th-century notable member of the Venier family. In 1422 he was Venetian chamberlain in Scutari and after some time he was appointed as chief magistrate of Antivari (modern day Bar in Montenegro). In 1441 ...

were supported by Skanderbeg. Dukagjini finally made peace with Venice in 1459. In 1474, the Ottoman Turks directed an attack against Crnojević Zeta and Venetian Zeta (around Lake Scutari). This war directly led to Ottoman conquest of the city from Venetian hands. The Ottomans had no intentions of retaining the city, but were content to demolish its fortifications.

Ecclesiastical history

Established circa 1000? as Diocese of Dagno / Dagne / Danj, without direct precursor, although the territory in the former Roman province of Dalmatia Superior was under the Metropolitan

Archdiocese of Doclea Doclea or Dioclea, also known as Docleia or Diocleia ( sr, Дукља, Duklja; gr, Διοκλεία; sq, Dioklea) was an ancient Illyrian, Roman and Byzantine city, in the region of the Docleatae tribe (late Roman province of Praevalitana), ...

. Suppressed circa 1550.

Episcopal Ordinaries

(very incomplete; all

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the '' sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while d ...

) ;''Suffragan Bishops of Dagno'' * Godefroid Greveray,

Carmelite Order , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

(O. Carm.) (1456.03.15 – ?) *

Bishop-elect In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of holy orders and is responsible for teaching doctrine, governing Catholics in his jurisdiction, sanctifying the world and representing the Ch ...

Matthias Michaelis de Posegavan (consecrated 1481.09.10 – ?)

Titular see

In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored as

Titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

of Dagnum (Latin; Dagno in Curiate Italian). It has had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank : * Luis Andrade Valderrama,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the te ...

(O.F.M.) (1939.03.03 – 1944.06.16) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the largest ...

( Colombia) (1939.03.03 – 1944.06.16), later Bishop of

Antioquía ) , anthem = Himno de Antioquia , image_map = Antioquia in Colombia (mainland).svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Antioquia shown in red , image_ma ...

(Colombia) (1944.06.16 – 1955.03.09), emeritate as Titular Bishop of

Sarepta Sarepta (near modern Sarafand, Lebanon) was a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast between Sidon and Tyre, also known biblically as Zarephath. It became a bishopric, which faded, and remains a double (Latin and Maronite) Catholic titula ...

(1955.03.09 – death 1977.06.29) * Bernhard Stein (1944.09.02 – 1967.04.13) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

(Germany) (1944.09.02 – 1967.04.13), succeeding as Bishop of Trier ( 967.04.131967.04.25 – retired 1980.09.05); died 1993 * Czesław Domin (1970.06.06 – 1992.02.01) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Katowice Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most populo ...

(

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

) (1970.06.06 – 1992.02.01), next Bishop of Koszalin–Kołobrzeg (Poland) (1992.02.01 – death 1996.03.15) * Stefan Siczek (1992.03.25 – 2012.07.31) as Auxiliary Bishop of

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship (since 1999), having previously been the seat of a separate Radom Voivodeship (1975–1 ...

(Poland) (1992.03.25 – death 2012.07.31) * Ángel Francisco Caraballo Fermín (2012.11.30 – ...), as Auxiliary Bishop of

Maracaibo ) , motto = "''Muy noble y leal''"(English: "Very noble and loyal") , anthem = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_alt = ...

(

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in ...

) (2012.11.30 – ...).

References

Sources and external links