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84-629: The first attestation of the Thopia can be found in an Angevin document from 1274 proclaiming an agreement reached between a number of Albanian nobles and Charles I of Anjou . In the document, a certain Theopia mīles is recorded among the Albanian nobles in pact with the Angevins. The Thopia are next mentioned in 1329 when Tanusio Thopia was mentioned as one of the counts of Albania. In 1338, Tanusio

168-562: A claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem . The youngest son of Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile , Charles was destined for a Church career until the early 1240s. He acquired Provence and Forcalquier through his marriage to their heiress, Beatrice . His attempts to restore central authority brought him into conflict with his mother-in-law, Beatrice of Savoy , and the nobility. Charles received Anjou and Maine from his brother, Louis IX of France , in appanage . He accompanied Louis during

252-651: A compromise between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Pope urged the Lombard towns to send envoys to him. He also urged Charles to renounce Tuscany. In the autumn of 1275 the Ghibellines offered to make peace with Charles, but he did not accept their terms. Early the next year the Ghibellines defeated his troops at Col de Tende , forcing them to withdraw to Provence. Pope Gregory X died on 10   January 1276. After

336-631: A crusade against the Byzantine Empire . Charles's ships were gathering at Messina , ready to begin the campaign when the Sicilian Vespers rebellion broke out on 30   March 1282 which put an end to Charles's rule on the island of Sicily. He was able to defend the mainland territories (or the Kingdom of Naples ) with the support of France and the Holy See. Charles died while making preparations for an invasion of Sicily. Charles

420-472: A joint venture with Pisan merchants. Pope Clement censured Charles for his methods of state administration, describing him as an arrogant and obstinate monarch. The consolidation of Charles's power in northern Italy also alarmed Clement. To appease the Pope, Charles resigned his senatorship in May 1267. His successors, Conrad Monaldeschi and Luca Savelli , demanded the re-payment of the money that Charles and

504-483: A lengthy campaign. He left Rome on 20   January 1266. He marched towards Naples , but changed his strategy after learning of a muster of Manfred's forces near Capua . He led his troops across the Apennines towards Benevento . Manfred also hurried to the town and reached it before Charles. Worried that further delays might endanger his subjects' loyalty, Manfred attacked Charles's army, then in disarray from

588-799: A loan to him. Conradin left Bavaria in September 1267. His supporters' revolt was spreading from Sicily to Calabria; the Saracens of Lucera also rose up. Pope Clement urged Charles to return to the Regno, but he continued his campaign in Tuscany until March 1268, when he met with the Pope. In April, the Pope made Charles imperial vicar of Tuscany "during the vacancy of the empire", a move of dubious legality. Charles marched to southern Italy and laid siege to Lucera, but he then had to hurry north to prevent Conradin's invasion of Abruzzo in late August. At

672-551: A month in Sicily, waiting for his fleet. By the time he landed at Tunis on 25   August, dysentery and typhoid fever had decimated the French army. Louis died the day Charles arrived. The crusaders twice defeated Al-Mustansir's army, forcing him to sue for peace. According to the peace treaty, signed on 1   November, Al-Mustansir agreed to fully compensate Louis' son and successor, Philip III of France , and Charles for

756-550: A new revolt in Provence. The burghers of Marseilles expelled Charles's officials, but Barral of Baux stopped the spread of the rebellion before Charles's return. Charles renounced Ventimiglia in favour of the Republic of Genoa to secure her neutrality. He defeated the rebels and forced Castellane into exile. The mediation of James I of Aragon brought about a settlement with Marseilles: its fortifications were dismantled and

840-779: A third of his revenues from Provence to her. In December 1244 Louis IX took a vow to lead a crusade. Ignoring their mother's strong opposition, his three brothers—Robert, Alphonse and Charles—also took the cross. Preparations for the crusade lasted for years, with the crusaders embarking at Aigues-Mortes on 25   August 1248. After spending several months in Cyprus they invaded Egypt on 5   June 1249. They captured Damietta and decided to attack Cairo in November. During their advance Louis's biographer Jean de Joinville noted Charles's personal courage which saved dozens of crusaders' lives. Robert of Artois died fighting against

924-469: A treaty with him in 1272 or 1273. John I Doukas of Thessaly and Stefan Uroš I , King of Serbia, joined the coalition in 1273. However, Pope Gregory forbade Charles to attack, because he hoped to unify the Orthodox and Catholic churches with the assistance of Emperor Michael VIII. The renowned theologian Thomas Aquinas died unexpectedly near Naples on 7   March 1274, before departing to attend

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1008-548: Is well documented. Charles later said that his mother had a strong impact on her children's education; in reality, Blanche was fully engaged in state administration, and could likely spare little time for her youngest children. Charles lived at the court of a brother, Robert I, Count of Artois , from 1237. About four years later he was put into the care of his youngest brother, Alphonse, Count of Poitiers . His participation in his brothers' military campaign against Hugh X of Lusignan , Count of La Marche, in 1242 showed that he

1092-429: The bailli , had stopped at Durazzo where they met. Andrea abducted and married her, and they had two sons, Karl and George. King Robert, enraged, under the pretext of reconciliation had the couple invited to Naples where he had them executed. The family converted from Eastern Orthodoxy to Catholicism . By 1340 the Thopia controlled much of the territory between the rivers Mati and Shkumbin rivers. Together with

1176-573: The Battle of Tagliacozzo , on 23   August 1268, it appeared that Conradin had won the day, but a sudden charge by Charles's reserve routed Conradin's army. The burghers of Potenza , Aversa and other towns in Basilicata and Apulia massacred their fellows who had agitated on Conradin's behalf, but the Sicilians and the Saracens of Lucera did not surrender. Charles marched to Rome where he

1260-826: The Eighth Crusade organised by Louis IX and forced the Hafsid Caliph Muhammad I to pay a yearly tribute to him. Charles's victories secured his undisputed leadership among the Papacy's Italian partisans (known as Guelphs ), but his influence on papal elections and his strong military presence in Italy disturbed the popes. They tried to channel his ambitions towards other territories and assisted him in acquiring claims to Achaea, Jerusalem and Arles through treaties. In 1281, Pope Martin IV authorised Charles to launch

1344-628: The Holy Land , but Charles returned to France in October 1250. Charles's officers continued the survey of the counts' rights and revenues in Provence, provoking a new rebellion during his absence. On his return he applied both diplomacy and military force to deal with them. The Archbishop of Arles and the Bishop of Digne ceded their secular rights in the two towns to Charles in 1250. He received military assistance from his brother, Alphonse. Arles

1428-635: The Knights Hospitaller and the Venetians acknowledged Charles as the lawful ruler, the barons of the realm also paid homage to San Severino in January 1278, after he had threatened to confiscate their estates. The Mamluks of Egypt had already confined the kingdom to a coastal strip covering 2,600 km (1,000 square miles) and Charles had ordered San Severino to avoid conflicts with Egypt. Pope John died on 20   May 1277. Charles

1512-574: The Muzaka family , they agreed to recognize Angevin suzerainty after rebelling against the Serbs. However except for Andrea Muzaka who defeated the Serbs in a battle in the Peristeri mountains, no action was taken to realize the treaty with the Angevins. Under Karl Thopia the family reached its zenith. After the death of Emperor Stefan Dušan (1355), Karl managed to capture much of central Albania which

1596-487: The Second Council of Lyon . According to a popular legend, immortalised by Dante Alighieri , Charles had him poisoned, because he feared that Aquinas would make complaint against him. The historian Steven Runciman emphasises that "there is no evidence for supposing that the great doctor's death was not natural". Southern Italian churchmen at the council accused Charles of tyrannical acts. Their report reinforced

1680-609: The Second Siege of Krujë . After that siege he is no longer mentioned in historical sources, and some suppose that he might have been killed in the end of that battle or died soon afterwards. He was a skillful commander and his loyalty to Skanderbeg was undeterred and that was the reason why he was appointed in that delicate position. The name Tanush is an Albanian exonym for Athanassius. "p.36: Andrea Thopia of Scuria between Tirana and Durazzo with his nephew, Tanush Thopia" This biographical article relating to Albania

1764-546: The Seventh Crusade to Egypt . Shortly after he returned to Provence in 1250, Charles forced three wealthy autonomous cities— Marseille , Arles and Avignon —to acknowledge his suzerainty . Charles supported Margaret II, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut , against her eldest son, John , in exchange for Hainaut in 1253. Two years later, Louis IX persuaded him to renounce the county, but compensated him by instructing Margaret to pay him 160,000 marks . Charles forced

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1848-520: The usufruct of Provence to her. The Hohenstaufen Emperor Frederick II (whom Pope Innocent IV had recently excommunicated for his alleged "crimes against the Church"), Count Raymond VII of Toulouse and other neighbouring rulers proposed themselves or their sons as husbands for the young Countess. Her mother put her under the protection of the Holy See. Louis IX and Margaret suggested that Beatrice should be given in marriage to Charles. To secure

1932-662: The Council of Lyon on 6   July that he had accepted the Catholic creed and papal primacy . About three weeks later, Pope Gregory again prohibited Charles from launching military actions against the Byzantine Empire. The Pope also tried to mediate a truce between Charles and Michael, but the latter chose to attack several smaller states in the Balkans, including Charles's vassals. The Byzantine fleet took control of

2016-498: The Egyptians at Al Mansurah . His three brothers survived, but they had to abandon the campaign. While withdrawing from Egypt, they fell into captivity on 6   April 1250. The Egyptians released Louis, Charles and Alphonse in exchange for 800,000 bezants and the surrender of Damietta on 6   May. During their voyage to Acre , Charles outraged Louis by gambling while the king was mourning Robert's death. Louis remained in

2100-669: The English barons had announced that they opposed a war against Manfred, Pope Alexander IV annulled the 1253 grant of Sicily to Edmund of Lancaster. Alexander's successor, Pope Urban IV , was determined to put an end to the Emperor's rule in Italy. He sent his notary, Albert of Parma, to Paris to negotiate with Louis IX for Charles to be placed on the Sicilian throne. Charles met with the Pope's envoy in early 1262. Taking advantage of Charles's absence, Boniface of Castellane stirred up

2184-608: The French and Provençal prelates to offer financial support for the crusade. Pope Urban died before the final agreement was concluded. Charles made arrangements for his campaign against Sicily during the interregnum; he concluded agreements to secure his army's route across Lombardy and had the leaders of the Provençal rebels executed. Foulquois was elected pope in February 1265; he soon confirmed Charles's senatorship and urged him to come to Rome. Charles agreed that he would hold

2268-401: The French crown if their rulers died without descendants. An earthquake destroyed the walls of Durazzo in the late 1260s or early 1270s. Charles's troops took possession of the town with the assistance of the leaders of the nearby Albanian communities. Charles concluded an agreement with the Albanian chiefs, promising to protect them and their ancient liberties in February 1272. He adopted

2352-648: The Genoese should elect Guelph officials. Ignoring the Pope's proposal, the Genoese made alliance with Alfonso X of Castile, William VII of Montferrat and the Ghibelline towns of Lombardy in October 1273. The conflict with Genoa prevented Charles from invading the Byzantine Empire , but he continued to forge alliances in the Balkan Peninsula. The Bulgarian ruler, Konstantin Tih , was the first to conclude

2436-864: The Ghibellines who had escaped to the town resisted until starvation forced them to surrender in August 1269. Charles sent Philip and Guy of Montfort to Sicily to force the rebels there into submission, but they could only capture Augusta . Charles made William l'Estandart the commander of the army in Sicily in August 1269. L'Estandart captured Agrigento , forcing Frederick of Castile and Frederick Lancia to seek refuge in Tunis. After L'Estandart's subsequent victory at Sciacca , only Capece resisted, but he also had to surrender in early 1270. Charles's troops forced Siena and Pisa—the last towns to resist him in Tuscany—to sue for peace in August 1270. He granted privileges to

2520-531: The Guelph leaders who had been exiled from Genoa. After they offered him the office of captain of the people , Charles promised military assistance to them. In November 1272 Charles commanded his officials to take prisoner all Genoese within his territories, except for the Guelphs, and to seize their property. His fleet occupied Ajaccio in Corsica. Pope Gregory condemned his aggressive policy, but proposed that

2604-432: The Guelph lords expelled from the Regno. Neither could Charles gain the commoners' loyalty, partly because he continued enforcing the subventio generalis despite the popes declaring it an illegal charge. He introduced a ban on the use of foreign currency in large transactions and made a profit of the compulsory exchange of foreign coinage for locally minted currency. He also traded in grain, spices and sugar, through

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2688-478: The Kingdom of Sicily as the popes' vassal for an annual tribute of 8,000 ounces of gold. He also promised that he would never seek the imperial title. He embarked at Marseilles on 10   May and landed at Ostia ten days later. He was installed as senator on 21   June and four cardinals invested him with the Regno a week later. To finance further military actions he borrowed money from Italian bankers with

2772-552: The Kingdom of Sicily. After Conradin accepted their proposal, Manfred's former vicar in Sicily, Conrad Capece , returned to the island and stirred up a revolt. At Capece's request Muhammad I al-Mustansir , the Hafsid caliph of Tunis , allowed Manfred's former ally, Frederick of Castile , to invade Sicily from North Africa. Frederick's brother, Henry —who had been elected senator of Rome—also offered support to Conradin. Henry had been Charles's friend, but Charles had failed to repay

2856-414: The Lombard towns to attend. The Lombard towns accepted the invitation, but some towns—Milan, Bologna, Alessandria and Tortona—only confirmed their alliance with Charles, without acknowledging his rule. Louis IX never abandoned the idea of the liberation of Jerusalem, but he decided to begin his new crusade with a military campaign against Tunis. According to his confessor, Geoffrey of Beaulieu , Louis

2940-555: The Pope had a low opinion of Hugh. The war with Genoa and the Lombard towns increasingly occupied Charles's attention. He appointed his nephew Robert II of Artois as his deputy in Piedmont in October 1274, but Artois could not prevent Vercelli and Alessandria from joining the Ghibelline League. The following summer, a Genoese fleet plundered Trapani and the island of Gozo . Convinced that only Rudolf I could achieve

3024-737: The Pope had borrowed from the Romans. Victories by the Ghibellines , the imperial family's supporters, forced the Pope to ask Charles to send his troops to Tuscany . Charles's troops ousted the Ghibellines from Florence in April 1267. After being elected the Podestà (ruler) of Florence and Lucca for seven years, Charles hurried to Tuscany. Charles's expansionism along the Papal States ' borders alarmed Pope Clement and he decided to change

3108-452: The Pope's assistance, who had authorised him to pledge Church property. Five cardinals crowned him king of Sicily on 5   January 1266. The crusaders from France and Provence—reportedly 6,000 fully equipped mounted warriors, 600 mounted bowmen and 20,000 foot-soldiers—arrived in Rome ten days later. Charles decided to invade southern Italy without delay, because he was unable to finance

3192-510: The Pope's attempt to reach a compromise with Rudolf of Habsburg , who had been elected king of Germany by the prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. In June, the Pope acknowledged Rudolf as the lawful ruler of both Germany and Italy. Charles's sisters-in-law, Margaret and Eleanor, approached Rudolf, claiming that they had been unlawfully disinherited in favour of Charles's late wife. Michael VIII's personal envoy announced at

3276-421: The Regno, included the island of Sicily and southern Italy nearly as far as Rome. Pope Innocent IV claimed that the Regno had reverted to the Holy See. The Pope first offered it to Richard of Cornwall , but Richard did not want to fight against Frederick's son, Conrad IV of Germany . Then the Pope proposed to enfeoff Charles with the kingdom. Charles sought instructions from Louis IX, who forbade him to accept

3360-430: The Regno. Pope Urban IV declared a crusade against the incumbent Manfred of Sicily and assisted Charles in raising funds for the military campaign. Charles was crowned king in Rome on 5 January 1266. He annihilated Manfred's army and occupied the Regno almost without resistance. His victory over Manfred's young nephew, Conradin , at the Battle of Tagliacozzo in 1268 strengthened his rule. In 1270, he took part in

3444-526: The Tuscan merchants and bankers which strengthened their position in the Regno. His influence was declining in Lombardy, because the Lombard towns no longer feared an invasion from Germany after Conradin's death. In May 1269 Charles sent Walter of La Roche to represent him in the province, but this failed to strengthen his authority. In October Charles's officials convoked an assembly at Cremona, and invited

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3528-459: The Venice. After the death of Karl, his dominion was divided between his daughter Helena Thopia and his son Gjergj Thopia. Gjergj kept the city of Durrës and his surroundings which he later surrendered to Venice Republic , while Helen Thopia kept the city of Krujë and its surroundings. She was married to Venetian nobleman Marco Barbarigo . The count Niketa Thopia , a cousin of Gjergj, ruled in

3612-413: The beginning of 1385, the city of Durrës was captured by Balsha II in a surprise attack. Karl called for Ottoman help and Balsha's forces were defeated in the Battle of Savra . Thopia recaptured the city of Durrës the same year and held it until his death in 1388. Afterwards, the city of Durrës was inherited by his son Gjergj, Lord of Durrës . In 1392 Gjergj surrendered the city of Durrës and his domains to

3696-608: The cardinals to elect a new pope. Charles's brother, Alphonse of Poitiers, fell ill. Charles sent his best doctors to cure him, but Alphonse died. He claimed the major part of Alphonse's inheritance, including the Marquisate of Provence and the County of Poitiers , because he was Alphonse's nearest kin . After Philip III objected, he took the case to the Parlement of Paris. In 1284 the court ruled that appanages escheated to

3780-651: The counts' rights and revenues, outraging both his subjects and his mother-in-law, who regarded this action as an attack against her rights. Being a younger child, destined for a church career, Charles had not received an appanage (a hereditary county or duchy) from his father. Louis VIII had willed that his fourth son, John, should receive Anjou and Maine upon reaching the age of majority, but John died in 1232. Louis IX knighted Charles at Melun in May 1246 and three months later bestowed Anjou and Maine on him. Charles rarely visited his two counties and appointed baillies (or regents) to administer them. While Charles

3864-523: The county to Charles. He accepted the offer and invaded Hainaut, forcing most local noblemen to swear fealty to him. After his return to France, Louis IX insisted that his ruling was to be respected. In November 1255 he ordered Charles to restore Hainaut to Margaret, but her sons were obliged to swear fealty to Charles. Louis also ruled that she was to pay 160,000 marks to Charles over the following 13 years. Charles returned to Provence, which had again become restive. His mother-in-law continued to support

3948-400: The crossing of the hills, on 26   February 1266. In the ensuing battle , Manfred's army was defeated and he was killed. Resistance throughout the Regno collapsed and towns surrendered even before Charles's troops reached them. The Saracens of Lucera —a Muslim colony established during Frederick II's reign —paid homage to him. His commander, Philip of Montfort , took control of

4032-478: The crusade were also sunk or forced to land in Sicily. Charles seized the damaged ships and their cargo, ignoring all protests from the Ghibelline authorities of Genoa. Before leaving Sicily he granted temporary tax concessions to the Sicilians, because he realised that the conquest of the island had caused much destruction. Charles accompanied Philip III as far as Viterbo in March 1271. Here they failed to convince

4116-612: The direction of Charles's ambitions. The Pope summoned him to Viterbo , forcing him to promise that he would abandon all claims to Tuscany in three years. He persuaded Charles to conclude agreements with William of Villehardouin , Prince of Achaea, and the titular Latin Emperor Baldwin II in late May. According to the first treaty, Villehardouin acknowledged Charles's suzerainty and made Charles's younger son, Philip , his heir, also stipulating that Charles would inherit Achaea if Philip died childless. Baldwin confirmed

4200-517: The expenses of the military campaign and to release his Christian prisoners. He also promised to pay a yearly tribute to Charles and to expel Charles's opponents from Tunis. The gold from Tunis, along with silver from the newly opened mine at Longobucco , enabled Charles to mint new coins, known as carlini , in the Regno. Charles and Philip departed Tunis on 10   November. A storm dispersed their fleet at Trapani and most of Charles's galleys were lost or damaged. Genoese ships returning from

4284-621: The first agreement and renounced his claims to suzerainty over his vassals in favour of Charles. Charles pledged that he would assist Baldwin in recapturing Constantinople from the Byzantine emperor, Michael VIII Palaiologos , in exchange for one third of the conquered lands. Charles returned to Tuscany and laid siege to the fortress of Poggibonsi, but it did not fall until the end of November. Manfred's staunchest supporters had meanwhile fled to Bavaria to attempt to persuade Conrad IV's 15-year-old son Conradin to assert his hereditary right to

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4368-431: The hostility he experienced during Gregory's pontificate, Charles was determined to secure the election of a pope willing to support his plans. Gregory's successor, Pope Innocent V , had always been Charles's partisan and he rapidly confirmed Charles as senator of Rome and imperial vicar of Tuscany. He also mediated a peace treaty between Charles and Genoa, which was signed in Rome on 22   June 1276. Charles restored

4452-577: The intervention of Ragusan Republic he was released, but only after giving some territories around Shkumbin river to Muzaka family. Upon his death in 1415, the castle of Krujë fell to the Ottomans. Later well known representatives include Tanush Thopia a famous commander of Skanderbeg army and the commander of Krujë garrison during Second Siege of Krujë . Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/1227 – 7 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou or Charles d'Anjou ,

4536-501: The island of Sicily . Manfred's widow, Helena of Epirus , and their children were captured. Charles laid claim to her dowry—the island of Corfu and the region of Durazzo (now Durrës in Albania)—by right of conquest. His troops seized Corfu before the end of the year. Charles was lenient with Manfred's supporters, but they did not believe that this conciliatory policy could last. They knew that he had promised to return estates to

4620-506: The maritime routes between Albania and southern Italy in the late 1270s. Gregory only allowed Charles to send reinforcements to Achaea. The organisation of a new crusade to the Holy Land remained the Pope's principal object. He persuaded Charles to start negotiations with Maria of Antioch about purchasing her claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem . The High Court of Jerusalem had already rejected her in favour of Hugh III of Cyprus , but

4704-768: The next four years. He received territories in the Lower Alps from the Dauphin of Vienne . Raymond I of Baux , Count of Orange, ceded the title of regent of the Kingdom of Arles to him. The burghers of Cuneo —a town strategically located on the routes from Provence to Lombardy—sought Charles's protection against Asti in July 1259. Alba , Cherasco , Savigliano and other nearby towns acknowledged his rule. The rulers of Mondovì , Ceva , Biandrate and Saluzzo did homage to him. Emperor Frederick II's illegitimate son, Manfred , had been crowned king of Sicily in 1258. After

4788-724: The offer, because he regarded Conrad as the lawful ruler. After Charles informed the Holy See on 30   October 1253 that he would not accept the Regno, the Pope offered it to Edmund of Lancaster . Queen Blanche, who had administered France during Louis' crusade, died on 1   December 1252. Louis made Alphonse and Charles co-regents, so that he could remain in the Holy Land. Margaret II, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut had come into conflict with her son by her first marriage, John of Avesnes . After her sons by her second marriage were captured in July 1253, she needed foreign assistance to secure their release. Ignoring Louis IX's 1246 ruling that Hainaut should pass to John, she promised

4872-626: The office, at which a group of cardinals requested that the Pope revoke the agreement with him, but the Pope, being otherwise defenceless against Manfred, could not break with Charles. In the spring of 1264 Cardinals Simon of Brie and Guy Foulquois were sent to France to reach a compromise and start raising support for the crusade. Charles sent troops to Rome to protect the Pope against Manfred's allies. At Foulquois' request, Charles's sister-in-law Margaret (who had not abandoned her claims to her dowry) pledged that she would not take actions against Charles during his absence. Foulquois also persuaded

4956-653: The privileges of the Genoese merchants and renounced his conquests, and the Genoese acknowledged his rule in Ventimiglia. Pope Innocent died on 30   June 1276. After the cardinals assembled in the Lateran Palace , Charles's troops surrounded it, enabling only his allies to communicate with other cardinals and with outsiders. On 11   July the cardinals elected Charles's old friend, Ottobuono de' Fieschi , pope, but he died on 18   August. The cardinals met again, this time at Viterbo. Although Charles

5040-472: The rebellious Boniface of Castellane and his allies, but Louis IX persuaded her to return Forcalquier to Charles and relinquish her claims for a lump sum payment from Charles and a pension from Louis in November 1256. A coup by Charles's supporters in Marseilles resulted in the surrender of all political powers there to his officials. Charles continued to expand his power along the borders of Provence in

5124-519: The rebellious Provençal nobles and towns into submission and expanded his suzerainty over a dozen towns and lordships in the Kingdom of Arles . In 1263, after years of negotiations, he accepted the offer of the Holy See to seize the Kingdom of Sicily from the Hohenstaufens . This kingdom included, in addition to the island of Sicily , southern Italy to well north of Naples and was known as

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5208-487: The region south of Durrës. In 1403, Niketa Thopia managed to capture the city of Krujë from his cousin Helena, thus gaining another part of the territory previously held by Thopia. He had good relations with Venice which was interested in having some buffer zone between them and advancing Ottoman army. However, in 1411, Niketa Thopia suffered a heavy defeat from the forces of Teodor III Muzaka . He himself fell prisoner and with

5292-466: The support of France against Frederick II, Pope Innocent IV accepted their proposal. Charles hurried to Aix-en-Provence at the head of an army to prevent other suitors from invading Provence, and married Beatrice on 31   January 1246. Provence was a part of the Kingdom of Arles and so of the Holy Roman Empire , but Charles never swore fealty to the emperor. He ordered a survey of

5376-504: The territory of Thopia extended from Mat river to Seman , reaching its maximum extension. This aggressive behavior brought a complicated situation and many enemies. In 1376 Louis of Évreux, Duke of Durazzo who had gained the rights on the Albanian Kingdom from his second wife, attacked and conquered the city. However, in 1383, Karl Thopia took control of the city again. Muzaka family allied with Balsha II against Thopia. In

5460-465: The title of King of Albania and appointed Gazzo Chinardo as his vicar-general. He also sent his fleet to Achaea to defend the principality against Byzantine attacks. Charles hurried to Rome to attend the enthronement of Pope Gregory X on 27   March 1272. The new pope was determined to put an end to the conflicts between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. While in Rome Charles met with

5544-437: The townspeople surrendered their arms, but the town retained its autonomy. Louis IX decided to support Charles's military campaign in Italy in May 1263. Pope Urban IV promised to proclaim a crusade against Manfred, while Charles pledged that he would not accept any offices in the Italian towns. Manfred staged a coup in Rome, but the Guelphs elected Charles senator (or the head of the civil government of Rome). He accepted

5628-450: The treaty concluded by Charles and Maria of Antioch on 18   March which transferred her claims to Jerusalem to Charles for 1,000 bezants and a pension of 4,000 livres tournois . Charles appointed Roger of San Severino to administer the Kingdom of Jerusalem as his bailiff . San Severino landed at Acre on 7   June 1277. Hugh III's bailiff, Balian of Arsuf , surrendered the town without resistance. Although initially only

5712-570: The vicariate of Tuscany in four months. On the other hand, Nicholas III confirmed the excommunication of Charles's enemies in Piedmont and started negotiations with Rudolf to prevent him from making an alliance against Charles with Margaret of Provence and her nephew, Edward I of England . The negotiations with Rudolf lay behind Nicholas' refusal to renew Charles's vicariate in Tuscany, to which Rudolf had appointed his own vicar. Tanush Thopia Tanush Thopia or Tanusio Thopia ( Albanian : Tanush Topia , Latin : Tanusas Thopius ; d. 1467)

5796-406: Was Conradin's only partisan to be released, but only after his wife threatened to execute the Guelph lords she held captive in her castle. The Ghibelline noblemen of the Regno fled to the court of Peter III of Aragon , who had married Manfred's daughter, Constance . Charles's wife, Beatrice of Provence, had died in July 1267. The widowed Charles married Margaret of Nevers in November 1268. She

5880-400: Was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou . He was Count of Provence (1246–1285) and Forcalquier (1246–1248, 1256–1285) in the Holy Roman Empire , Count of Anjou and Maine (1246–1285) in France; he was also King of Sicily (1266–1285) and Prince of Achaea (1278–1285). In 1272, he was proclaimed King of Albania , and in 1277 he purchased

5964-481: Was absent from Provence, Marseille , Arles and Avignon —three wealthy cities, directly subject to the emperor—formed a league and appointed a Provençal nobleman, Barral of Baux , as the commander of their combined armies. Charles's mother-in-law put the disobedient Provençals under her protection. Charles could not deal with the rebels as he was about to join his brother's crusade . To pacify his mother-in-law he acknowledged her right to rule Forcalquier and granted

6048-603: Was again elected senator in September. He appointed new officials to administer justice and collect state revenues. New coins bearing his name were struck. During the following decade, Rome was ruled by Charles's vicars, each appointed for one year. Conradin was captured at Torre Astura . Most of his retainers were summarily executed, but Conradin and his friend, Frederick I, Margrave of Baden , were brought to trial for robbery and treason in Naples. They were sentenced to death and beheaded on 29   October. Conrad of Antioch

6132-578: Was an Albanian nobleman and one of the closest collaborators of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg . Thopia descended from the Thopia family that converted from Orthodox Christianity to Catholicism. In 1444, together with his uncle Andrea Thopia , he participated in the founding of the League of Lezhë , the military alliance led by Skanderbeg . He was a commander of the infantry of the League of Lezhë , and his garrison became famous for their resistance during

6216-402: Was co-heiress to her father, Odo , the eldest son of Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy . Pope Clement died on 29   November 1268. The papal vacancy lasted for three years, which strengthened Charles's authority in Italy, but it also deprived him of the ecclesiastic support that only a pope could provide. Charles returned to Lucera to personally direct its siege in April 1269. The Saracens and

6300-436: Was convinced that al-Mustansir of Tunis was ready to convert to Christianity. The 13th-century historian Saba Malaspina stated that Charles persuaded Louis to attack Tunis, because he wanted to secure the payment of the tribute that the rulers of Tunis had paid to the former Sicilian monarchs. The French crusaders embarked at Aigues-Mortes on 2   July 1270; Charles departed from Naples six days later. He spent more than

6384-411: Was ill and could not prevent the election of Giovanni Gaetano Orsini as Pope Nicholas III on 25   November. The Pope soon declared that no foreign prince could rule in Rome and reminded Charles that he had been elected senator for ten years. Charles swore fealty to the new pope on 24   May 1278 after lengthy negotiations. He had to pledge that he would renounce both the senatorship of Rome and

6468-431: Was introduced in the whole county. Income from the salt trade made up about 50% of state revenues by the late 1250s. Charles abolished local tolls and promoted shipbuilding and grain trade . He ordered the issue of new coins, called provencaux , to enable the use of the local currency in smaller transactions. Emperor Frederick II, who was also the ruler of Sicily, died in 1250. The Kingdom of Sicily , also known as

6552-527: Was mentioned as Count of Matia (conte di Matia). According to Anamali & Prifti, Tanusio had a brother, Dominik, who was a high cleric and served as a counsel of Robert of Anjou . According to Karl Hopf , Tanusio's son or brother Andrea, as told by Gjon Muzaka (fl. 1510), had fallen in love with the daughter of Robert of Naples when her ship, en route to the Principality of the Morea to be wed with

6636-544: Was no longer destined for a Church career. Raymond Berengar V of Provence died in August 1245, bequeathing Provence and Forcalquier to his youngest daughter, Beatrice , allegedly because he had given generous dowries to her three sisters. The dowries were actually not fully discharged, causing two of her sisters, Margaret (Louis IX's wife) and Eleanor (the wife of Henry III of England ), to believe that they had been unlawfully disinherited. Their mother, Beatrice of Savoy , claimed that Raymond Berengar had willed

6720-526: Was part of the Serbian Empire until then. In 1362 his forces attacked the city of Durrës, then in Angevin hands. Although he couldn't capture the city, he forced them to pay an annual tribute to his family. In 1368 Karl managed to capture the city of Durrës. Around 1370 Karl attacked the dominions of the Muzaka family and managed to capture from them the territory between Shkumbin and Seman . Now

6804-501: Was staying in the nearby Vetralla, he could not directly influence the election, because his vehement opponent, Cardinal Giovanni Gaetano Orsini , dominated the papal conclave . Pope John XXI , who was elected on 20   September, excommunicated Charles's opponents in Piedmont and prohibited Rudolf from coming to Lombardy, but did not forbid the Lombardian Guelph leaders swearing fealty to Rudolf. The Pope also confirmed

6888-594: Was the first Capetian to be named for Charlemagne . Louis VIII died in November 1226 and his eldest son, Louis IX , succeeded him. The late King willed that his youngest sons were to be prepared for a career in the Roman Catholic Church . The details of Charles's tuition are unknown, but he received a good education. He understood the principal Catholic doctrines and could identify errors in Latin texts. His passion for poetry, medical sciences, and law

6972-551: Was the first town to surrender to them in April 1251. In May they forced Avignon to acknowledge their joint rule. A month later Barral of Baux also capitulated. Marseilles was the only town to resist for several months, but it also sought peace in July 1252. Its burghers acknowledged Charles as their lord, but retained their self-governing bodies. Charles's officials continued to ascertain his rights, visiting each town and holding public enquiries to obtain information about all claims. The count's salt monopoly (or gabelle )

7056-410: Was the youngest child of King Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile . The date of his birth has not survived, but he was probably born posthumously in early 1227. Charles was Louis' only surviving son to be " born in the purple " (after his father's coronation), a fact he often emphasised in his youth, as the contemporaneous chronicler Matthew Paris noted in his Chronica Majora . He

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