Helena Thopia
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Helena Thopia (; 1388–1403) was an
Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
princess of the
Thopia family The Thopia were one of the most powerful Albanian feudal families in the Late Middle Ages, part of the nobility of the Angevin Kingdom of Albania. Early history The first attestation of the Thopia can be found in an Angevin document from 1274 ...
who held the
Krujë Krujë ( sq-definite, Kruja; see also the etymology section) is a town and a municipality in north-central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is 20 km north of the capital of Albania, Tirana. Krujë was ...
region as sovereign lady for two terms; 1388–1392 and 1394–1403.


Life

Princess Helena, was the eldest daughter of
Karl Thopia Karl Thopia (; – January 1388) sometimes written as Charles Thopia, was an Albanian feudal prince and warlord who ruled Albanian domains from 1358 until the first Ottoman conquest of Albania in 1388. Thopia usually maintained good relatio ...
and
Voisava Balsha Voisava was a noblewoman and wife of Gjon Kastrioti, an Albanian feudal lord from the House of Kastrioti. They had nine children together, one of whom was the Albanian national hero Gjergj Kastrioti, better known as Skanderbeg. Early life The ...
. After the death of her father, in 1388, she inherited the castle of
Krujë Krujë ( sq-definite, Kruja; see also the etymology section) is a town and a municipality in north-central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is 20 km north of the capital of Albania, Tirana. Krujë was ...
and the surrounding region. Her first marriage was to Marco Barbarigo a Venetian nobleman, who became the actual ruler of her lands. Mark held for a time his and Helen's possession under Venetian suzerainty. Mark, who had previously held his and Helen's possessions under Venetian suzerainty, found himself facing a new threat from the
Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...
. These pressures eventually led him to accept Ottoman suzerainty, allowing him to maintain his control over Krujë and his other lands stretching to Durrës. No longer viewing himself as a Venetian deputy, he began to raid Venetian lands in the vicinity of Durrës. In 1392 as a result of the hostilities between her husband and the Venetian forces, her half-brother,
Niketa Thopia Niketa Thopia (, ; 1388 – d. 1415), also known as Nikola was the Lord of Krujë between 1392—1394 and 1403–1415. He was a member of the Albanians, Albanian Thopia family and an illegitimate son of Karl Thopia, the Prince of Albania (r. 1368 ...
, a Venice loyal, attacked the city of Krujë and forced Mark Barbarigo to find refuge among the Balsha family. After her brother
Gjergj Thopia Gjergj Thopia (; October 1392), also known as Giorgio, Georg or George was an Albanian Prince and member of the Thopia family. He was the Prince of Albania and the Lord of Durrës from 1388 to 1392. His reign was marked by efforts to maintain co ...
died in 1392 she gained the bulk of the rest of his holdings. A smaller portion was also left to their younger sister,
Voisava Thopia Voisava Thopia (), also known as Voyasclava, Vojislava, Voyslava or Voisclava was an Albanian princess of the Thopia family. Life Princess Voisava, was the daughter of Karl Thopia and Voisava Balsha. Not much is known about the early life of Vo ...
. In 1394,
Kostandin Balsha Kostandin is an Albanian masculine given name. It is also an Armenian masculine given name (), pronounced Kostandin in Eastern Armenian and Gosdantin in Western Armenian. Both are equivalent to the English name Constantine. Albanians bearing the n ...
, was appointed by the Ottomans to govern Krujë. In 1395, Kostandin was actively fighting for the Ottomans at the
Battle of Rovine The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395. The Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea the Elder opposed the Ottoman invasion personally led by Sultan Bayezid I the Thunderbolt. The Turkish force heavily outnumbered the Wallachian troops. ...
. The Venetians, displeased by the shift in control, attempted to negotiate with Kostandin to regain Krujë, but he refused. Kostandin soon married Helen Thopia, the widow of Mark Barbadigo and the holder of Krujë's hereditary rights. Kostandin's mother,
Teodora Dejanović Dejan ( sr-Cyrl, Дејан; fl. 1346 – c. 1366) was a magnate who served Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) as '' sevastokrator'', and Emperor Uroš V (r. 1355–71) as '' despot''. He was married to Emperor Dušan's sister Teodor ...
who was now a nun, joined him in Krujë, taking an active role at court. Shortly thereafter, Kostandin also gained control of the town of
Danjë Dagnum (, , ) was a town, bishopric and important medieval fortress located on the territory of present-day Albania, which has been under Albanian, Serbian, Venetian and Ottoman control and remains a Latin Catholic titular see. It is close to t ...
, which included its lucrative customs post. In 1402, while many Albanian vassals of the Ottomans went to support
Bayezid I Bayezid I (; ), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt (; ; – 8 March 1403), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. He adopted the title of ''Sultan-i Rûm'', ''Rûm'' being the Arabic name for the Eastern Roman Empire. In 139 ...
against
Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...
at the
Battle of Ankara The Battle of Ankara or Angora () was fought on 28 July 1402, at the Çubuk plain near Ankara, between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I and the emir of the Timurid Empire, Timur. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to ...
, Kostandin Balsha remained in Albania. He soon launched an attack against Venice's Durrës, which ultimately failed, leading to his capture. The Venetians then tried him and executed him. In 1403, Niketa Thopia swiftly seized control of the city of Krujë from his sister Helena, acting independently. Given his prior loyalty to the Venetians, they soon accepted his action and, in 1404, officially recognized him as governor of Krujë. After Kostandin's death Helena and their son Shtjefën Balsha first went to Venice and then lived with her sister Maria, Baroness of Botrugno.


Family

Helena Thopia married
Kostandin Balsha Kostandin is an Albanian masculine given name. It is also an Armenian masculine given name (), pronounced Kostandin in Eastern Armenian and Gosdantin in Western Armenian. Both are equivalent to the English name Constantine. Albanians bearing the n ...
. The couple had one child: # Shtjefën Balsha, was a Zetan nobleman who served as a close associate and vassal to
Balša III Balša III ( sr-cyr, Балша III; ) or Balsha III (1387 – 28 April 1421, in Belgrade) was the fifth and last ruler of Zeta from the Balšić noble family, from April 1403 to April 1421. He was the son of Đurađ II and Jelena Lazarević. ...
, but later sought Ottoman support for his rule over Zeta.


Family tree


See also

*
Thopia family The Thopia were one of the most powerful Albanian feudal families in the Late Middle Ages, part of the nobility of the Angevin Kingdom of Albania. Early history The first attestation of the Thopia can be found in an Angevin document from 1274 ...
*
Principality of Albania (medieval) The Principality of Albania ( Albanian: ''Principata e Arbërisë'') was an Albanian principality ruled by the Albanian dynasty of Thopia. The first notable ruler was Tanusio Thopia, who became Count of Mat in 1328. The principality would re ...
*
Saint Gjon Vladimir's Church Saint Jovan Vladimir's Church () is an Albanian Orthodox church in Shijon, Elbasan County, Albania. It is dedicated to the Dukljan prince and saint Jovan Vladimir, the son-in-law of the Bulgarian Tsar Samuil. It became a Cultural Monument of Alban ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thopia
Helena Helena may refer to: People *Helena (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Katri Helena (born 1945), Finnish singer * Saint Helena (disambiguation), this includes places Places Greece * Helena ...
Albanian princesses Principality of Albania (medieval) 15th-century Albanian people 15th-century Albanian women 14th-century lords in Europe 14th-century women rulers Balšić noble family Medieval Albanian nobility Albanian monarchs