Gjergj Thopia

Gjergj Thopia
*Gjergj Topia*
Gjergj Thopia; Gjergj Topia
Prince of Albania ; Lord of Durrës
Prince of Albania
Reign	1388—1392
Predecessor	Karl Thopia
Successor	Helena Thopia
Born	14th Century; Principality of Albania
Died	1392
Spouse	Teodora Branković
House	Thopia
Father	Karl Thopia
Mother	Voisava Balsha
Religion	Roman Catholic

Gjergj Thopia (Albanian: Gjergj Topia); fl. 1388 – d. 1392) was Prince of Albania and the Lord of Durrës from 1388 to 1392. He was the son of Karl Topia and Voisava Balsha.^[2]^[3] Gjergj married Teodora, the daughter of sevastokrator Branko Mladenović.^[4] During their reign, they were documented as possessing a crown decorated with pearls and precious stones and a golden crown, and four pairs of pearl earrings.^[5]

Gjergj was required to return Durrës to the Republic of Venice in 1392.^[6]^[7]^[8] Later that year, he died without issue.^[9] His sister, Helena Thopia, gained the bulk of the rest of his holdings, whilst a smaller portion was left to his younger sister, Voisava Thopia.^[10]^[11] He had two further half-siblings from his father's affairs, Niketa Thopia, who eventually attacked and forcefully took control of Krujë, as well as, Maria Thopia, who became Baroness of Botrugno in Italy and granted refuge to Helena and her son Stefan Maramonte.

Family tree

Ancestors of Gjergj Thopia

8. Tanusio Thopia

4. Andrea Thopia

2. Karl Thopia

20. Charles II of Naples

10. Robert, King of Naples

21. Mary of Hungary

5. Hélène of Anjou

11. Unknown mistress

1. Gjergj Thopia

6. Balsha I

3. Voisava Balsha

7. Unknown

References

^ Molina, Grabiela (29 August 2022). Decoding Debate in the Venetian Senate Short Stories of Crisis and Response on Albania (1392-1402). Brill. p. 83. ISBN 978-9-0045-2093-6. ...George declared himself princeps Albaniae...
^ Stair Sainty, Guy (2018). The Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Angeli, Farnese and Bourbon families which governed it. Boletín Oficial del Estado. p. 503. ISBN 978-8-4340-2506-6. ...Gjergj Thopia, the son of Karolus Thopia and Voislava Balsha....
^ Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. ...The aforementioned sons fled back to their country. Later on, the said Lord Charles married Lady Voisava, the daughter of Lord Balsha, and had one son called George...
^ Veselinović & Ljušić 2002.
^ Andromaqi Gjergji. Albanian Costumes Through the Centuries Origin, Types, Evolution. Indiana University. p. 15. ISBN 978-9-9943-6144-1. ...A document of the year 1363 mentions a crown decorated with pearls and precious stones, while documents of the years 1393, 1399, and 1400 speak of a gold crown and four pairs of pearl earrings which belonged to the wife of Gjergj Topia...
^ E. Jacques, Edwin (2009). The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present - Volume 1. McFarland & Company. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-7864-4238-6. ...Upon the death of Karl Topia (1388) his sickly son Gjergj headed the principality. Being an ineffective ruler anyway, he yielded to Venetian pressure and left Durrës to Venice just before he died in 1392...
^ Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. ...This George pledged Durrës to the Venetians...
^ O'Connell, Monique (2009). Men of Empire Power and Negotiation in Venice's Maritime State. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 26. ISBN 9780801891458. At the end of 1389, Carlo Thopia died and Durrës passed to his equally sickly son Giorgio, who died in 1392.
^ Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. ...but he died without leaving heirs...
^ John V. A. Fine. The Late Medieval Balkans A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press. p. 418. ISBN 978-0-4720-8260-5. ...Later that year George Thopia died without issue. The bulk of his holdings, for he surrendered only Durazzo and environs to Venice, went to his sister Helena. (A small piece was left to his younger sister Vojsava, who was married to a patrician of Durazzo known as Lord [Kyr] Isaac. That couple continued to reside in Durazzo under the Venetians.)...
^ E. Jacques, Edwin (2009). The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present - Volume 1. McFarland & Company. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-7864-4238-6. ...The remainder of his principality was divided among the daughters of Karl and other relatives, who fought with both Venice and the Turks until Kruja fell to the latter in 1425...

Sources

Veselinović, Andrija; Ljušić, Radoš (2002). Родослови српских династија [Genealogies of Serb dynasties]. Платонеум.

Preceded by Karl Thopia as Prince of Albania	Lord of Durrës 1388–92	Succeeded by Helena Thopia

[1] Molina, Grabiela (29 August 2022). Decoding Debate in the Venetian Senate Short Stories of Crisis and Response on Albania (1392-1402). Brill. p. 83. ISBN 978-9-0045-2093-6. ...George declared himself princeps Albaniae...

[2] Stair Sainty, Guy (2018). The Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Angeli, Farnese and Bourbon families which governed it. Boletín Oficial del Estado. p. 503. ISBN 978-8-4340-2506-6. ...Gjergj Thopia, the son of Karolus Thopia and Voislava Balsha....

[3] Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. ...The aforementioned sons fled back to their country. Later on, the said Lord Charles married Lady Voisava, the daughter of Lord Balsha, and had one son called George...

[FOOTNOTEVeselinovićLjušić2002-4] Veselinović & Ljušić 2002.

[5] Andromaqi Gjergji. Albanian Costumes Through the Centuries Origin, Types, Evolution. Indiana University. p. 15. ISBN 978-9-9943-6144-1. ...A document of the year 1363 mentions a crown decorated with pearls and precious stones, while documents of the years 1393, 1399, and 1400 speak of a gold crown and four pairs of pearl earrings which belonged to the wife of Gjergj Topia...

[6] E. Jacques, Edwin (2009). The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present - Volume 1. McFarland & Company. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-7864-4238-6. ...Upon the death of Karl Topia (1388) his sickly son Gjergj headed the principality. Being an ineffective ruler anyway, he yielded to Venetian pressure and left Durrës to Venice just before he died in 1392...

[7] Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. ...This George pledged Durrës to the Venetians...

[O'Connell2009-8] O'Connell, Monique (2009). Men of Empire Power and Negotiation in Venice's Maritime State. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 26. ISBN 9780801891458. At the end of 1389, Carlo Thopia died and Durrës passed to his equally sickly son Giorgio, who died in 1392.

[9] Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. ...but he died without leaving heirs...

[10] John V. A. Fine. The Late Medieval Balkans A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press. p. 418. ISBN 978-0-4720-8260-5. ...Later that year George Thopia died without issue. The bulk of his holdings, for he surrendered only Durazzo and environs to Venice, went to his sister Helena. (A small piece was left to his younger sister Vojsava, who was married to a patrician of Durazzo known as Lord [Kyr] Isaac. That couple continued to reside in Durazzo under the Venetians.)...

[11] E. Jacques, Edwin (2009). The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present - Volume 1. McFarland & Company. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-7864-4238-6. ...The remainder of his principality was divided among the daughters of Karl and other relatives, who fought with both Venice and the Turks until Kruja fell to the latter in 1425...

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Family tree

See also

References

Sources