Simon Zenebishi () was an Albanian aristocrat and vassal of the

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

, who held the castle of Strovilo (Castrovilari), near

Butrint Butrint ( el, Βουθρωτόν and Βουθρωτός, ''Bouthrōtón'', la, Buthrōtum) was an ancient Greek and later Roman city and bishopric in Epirus. "Speakers of these various Greek dialects settled different parts of Greece at diffe ...

, and was a member of the Zenevisi family of southern Albania. He probably dwelled in Corfu, and was later subject to the sovereignty of Alfonso of Naples.

Life

He was a grandson a

John Zenevisi John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( sq, Gjon Zenebishi or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Argyrokastro (Gjirokastër) and Vagenetia. Name Zenevisi can be found with different spellin ...

and a son of Thopia Zenevisi of the Zenevisi clan. The Zenevisi had established themselves as rulers in the region of

Gjirokastër Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a city in the Republic of 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 ...

, ruled by John Zenevisi who in the late 14th century is a recorded as "sebastokrator". Simon appears in the historical records for the first time in a deal the Zenevisi had made with the

Spata Spata ( el, Σπάτα), is a town east of downtown Athens, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Spata-Artemida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit (officially named Spata- ...

clan of the

Despotate of Arta The Despotate of Arta ( sq, Despotati i Artës; el, Δεσποτάτο της Άρτας) was a despotate established by Albanian rulers during the 14th century, after the defeat of the local Despot of Epirus, Nikephoros II Orsini, by Albania ...

. As part of their alliance against the Despote of Epirus, Carlo Tocco, a daughter of

Maurice Spata }); ) was the ruler of Arta from late 1399/early 1400 until his death in 1414 or 1415. Maurice's reign was dominated by his wars with Carlo I Tocco. Maurice was able to defend his capital of Arta, but despite some victories failed to prevent the f ...

was married to Simon Zenevisi. This alliance held until 1413-14, when, due to unknown actions undertaken by Simon, the alliance between the Zenevisi and Spata broke and the Zenevisi allied with the Tocco instead. In 1443, Simon Zenebishi built the Strovili fortress with Venetian approval and support. It was located near Saiata (Sayada), and above

Vagenetia Vagenetia or Vagenitia ( gr, Βαγενετία, Βαγενιτία) was a medieval region on the coast of Epirus, roughly corresponding to modern Thesprotia. The region likely derived its name from the Slavic tribe of the Baiounitai. It is first ...

, the lands of his grandfather

. In 1454–55 he was recognized by Alphonso V as a vassal of the

. He had a son, born and raised in Turkey, who had deserted from the Turks in 1454, who in 1455 asked the King of Naples to be baptized.

Aftermath

His son, Alessandro "Lech" Zenevisi, ruled Strovilo following Simon's death until 1473, when he sold the castle to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

Ancestry

Name

In Catalan documents, his name is also spelled ''Simone Gimlixi'' and ''Gimbixi''. An Albanian neologism of his name is ''Simon Zenebishi''.

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zenebishi, Simon Simon 15th-century Albanian people Republic of Venice nobility Venetian Albanians People of the Kingdom of Naples 15th-century Neapolitan people 15th-century Venetian people 1461 deaths