Duke Of Durazzo (title)

The Duke or Duchess of Durazzo () also known as Duke or Duchess of Durrës was a noble title used by the rulers of Durrës (city in modern-day Albania) during the middle ages. The title was originally established by the House of Anjou-Durazzo following the decline of the Kingdom of Albania, and it was later adopted by the House of Thopia, one of the major noble families in medieval Albania.

The last holder of the title was the Albanian prince Gjergj Thopia, who was compelled to cede the city of Durrës to the Venetians in 1392.

The modern-day descendants of the Dukes and Duchesses of Durazzo no longer hold any social or political power within the city.

History and Usage

Background and the Venetian Duchy

Before the Angevins, the Venetian Duchy of Durazzo had existed but it remains unknown whether the title was really used. The territory of the Kingdom of Albania under Philip of Taranto was restricted to roughly the modern Durrës District. In an attempt to resolve the tensions between the house of Anjou and the Aragonese, the Kingdom of Albania and the lands in Achaea under Angevin dominion were offered in exchange for the Kingdom of Trinacria ruled by Frederick II. These negotiations lasted some years but were abandoned in 1316. Upon the death of Philip of Taranto in 1332, there were various claims on his domains within the Angevin family. The rights of the Duchy of Durazzo (Durrës) and the Kingdom of Albania together were given to John of Gravina with a sum of 5,000 pounds of gold. After his death in 1336, his dominions in Albania passed to his son Charles, Duke of Durazzo.

Angevin Duchy of Durazzo

The Angevin duchy of Durazzo became a continuation of its previous kingdom in Albania which had lost a majority of its domains (excluding Durrës) after the rise of Serbian King Stefan Milutin and the Albanian principalities. During this period there were different Albanian noble families who began consolidating their power and domains. One of them was the Thopia family whose domains were in central Albania. The Serbs were pressing hard in their direction and the Albanian nobles found a natural ally in the Angevins. Alliance with Albanian leaders was also crucial to the safety of the city, especially during the 1320s and 1330s. Most prominent among these leaders were the Thopias, ruling in an area between the rivers Mat and Shkumbin, and in 1336, an agreement between the Angevins and Andrea II Muzaka allowed members of the Muzaka family to travel freely to and from Durrës, and the friendly ties between the two noble families remained up until the Muzaka family fled from the Ottoman conquest of Albania. Andrea II led the resistance against the Serbs and formed various alliances with other Albanian noble families such as the Mataranga and Gropa, as well as maintaining ties with his traditional Angevin allies. In August 1336, the Kingdom of Serbia under Stefan Dušan captured Angevin-controlled Durrës. During that time period Durrës was being governed by the Statutes of Durazzo which recognised Angevin control of the city, which Dušan had negotiated with to establish his authority and administration over the city, although the Angevins managed to later recapture Durrës as part of their domains in Albania through re-negotiation.

Usage during the Principality of Albania

In 1358, Albanian nobleman Karl Thopia rose against the rule of the Anjou during the Albanian-Anjou Conflict Since 1362, Karl sought Durrës, which was in the possession of Duchess Joanna. The first, certainly still unsuccessful siege lasted from April 1362 until May 1363. Then, Thopia had to withdraw his troops, who were weakened by an epidemic disease. Later Karl captured Durrës in 1368, which was where the Angevins held out due to their Kingdom becoming smaller in size. After this Karl had plans to turn this important port into his residence. After the capture Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo and her husband Louis of Évreux immediately began planning the reconquest of not only Durrës, but all the lands of the former Angevin Kingdom of Albania. They were successful in gathering the support of Louis' brother Charles II the Bad the King of Navarre and Charles V King of France in this reconquest plan.

Louis of Évreux's final attempt to assert his claim to the Kingdom of Albania began in the early 1370s. In 1372, Enguerrand VII de Coucy led the recruitment of 500 lances and 500 mounted archers from Gascony to bolster the ranks of the Navarrese Company, a mercenary group composed mainly of soldiers from Navarre and Gascony. These troops were gathered to support the campaign aimed at conquering the Kingdom of Albania. By 1376, Louis had also enlisted four companies of knights from Navarre to reinforce his claim. Most of the soldiers in the Navarrese Company were recruited between 1375 and 1376 from Navarre and Gascony. They were paid 30 florins of Aragon per month, with the enrollment records preserved in the Cámara de Comptos archives in Pampeluna. After the death of Louis of Évreux in 1376 Durrës remained under the control of Joanna and her second husband Robert IV of Artois for a few years until Thopia invaded again in 1383, leading to the final disestablishment of the Angevin Kingdom of Albania. Furthermore, Karl Thopia was later recognised as the official legitimate Duke of Durazzo and his successor was his son Gjergj Thopia.

Later relinquishment to Venice

Following the death of his father Karl, Gjergj Thopia became the new Duke of Durazzo. Once Ottoman forces began conquering areas previously held by local lords, the Venetian Senate reassessed Albania's strategic importance. A pivotal moment in Venice’s involvement came on March 8, 1392, when a Council speech emphasized the urgent need to secure Durrës against the advancing Ottoman threat. A detailed plan was proposed, instructing Captain Saraceno Dandolo to meet with Gjergj Thopia, assure him of Venice's support, and secure Durrës castle with Venetian expenses. The speakers highlighted the substantial investments Venice had made to defend the city and warned of the grave consequences should Durrës fall to the Ottomans. The speech framed Venice’s actions as a moral duty to protect fellow Christians and prevent the city’s capture. The Venetian Council, emphasizing its “sincere affection and love” for Gjergj Thopia and the city of Durrës, reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the city from falling into Ottoman hands. They urged Gjergj to permit Venetian forces to secure the castle of Durrës for the safety of Christianity and the city, while assuring him that he would maintain his rule, governance, and status as lord of Durrës. Gjergj relinquished control of Durrës to Dandolo in 1392, pressured by Venice and weakened by declining health and political instability. After Gjergj’s death, Dandolo formally assumed possession of the city and its territory, marking Durrës’ submission to Venetian authority.{{Cite book , last=O’Connell , first=Monique , url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Men_of_Empire/kiYHuWp4CjUC?hl=en , title=Men of Empire Power and Negotiation in Venice's Maritime State , year=2009 , isbn=978-0-8018-9145-8 , pages=26

Aftermath

The city of Durrës later fell to the Ottoman Empire and thus became part of the Sanjak of Albania (Ottoman Administrative unit in Albania). The title became extinct and was never used again.

List of title holders

House of Anjou-Durazzo

* John, Duke of Durazzo (1332–1336) - son of Charles II of Naples, first Duke of Durazzo, who traded his claim to Achaea for control of Durazzo.
* Charles, Duke of Durazzo (1336–1348) - eldest son of John, ruled Durazzo, married Maria of Calabria, and was executed during a conflict involving the Neapolitan throne
* Joanna, Duchess of Durazzo (1348–1368) & (1376–1383) - inherited Durazzo as a child, lost it to Karl Thopia in 1383, and was poisoned in Naples in 1387
* Louis, Duke of Durazzo (1365–1368 & 1376) - Duke of Durazzo by marriage to Joanna, he led military efforts to reclaim the city and died shortly after its capture in 1376
* Robert IV of Artois, Count of Eu (1376–1383) - Duke of Durazzo by marriage to Joanna, he lost the city to Karl Thopia in 1383 and was later poisoned in Naples in 1387.

House of Thopia

* Karl Thopia (1368–1376) & (1383-1388) - prince of Albania, conquered Durazzo from the Angevins
* Gjergj Thopia (1388-1392)- prince of Albania, eldest son of Karl Thopia

House of Balsha

* Balsha II (1385) - lord of Zeta, conquered Durazzo from Karl Thopia

References

category:Albanian noble titles
Kingdom of Albania (medieval)
Albanian nobility