The Barony of Estamira or Stamira was a medieval

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages * Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany * East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...

fiefdom of the

Principality of Achaea The Principality of Achaea () or Principality of Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire, which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom o ...

, located in the fertile plains of the

Elis Elis or Ilia ( el, Ηλεία, ''Ileia'') is a historic region in the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece. It is administered as a regional unit of the modern region of Western Greece. Its capital is Pyrgos. Until 2011 it was ...

region of the

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic regions of Greece, geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmu ...

peninsula in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, and centred on the now vanished fortress of Estamira (variously also Estamirra, Stamirra, later Stamero or Stamiro, el, Στάμηρον).Bon (1969), p. 336

History

The Barony of Estamira was not one of the original

baronies Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

into which the

was divided by the

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

after the conquest of the

. Instead, it was created, some time after 1230, from territory originally forming part of the princely domain. It comprised 12 knight's fiefs and was granted to Geoffrey Chauderon, probably of

Champenois Champenois (''lou champaignat'') is a Romance language of the ''langues d'oïl'' language family spoken by a minority of people in Champagne and Île-de-France provinces in France, as well as in a handful of towns in southern Belgium (chiefly th ...

origin, who was also

Grand Constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...

of the Principality. Geoffrey died in 1278, and was succeeded in the barony and as Constable by his son

John Chauderon John Chauderon (french: Jean Chauderon; died 1294) was the Baron of Estamira and Grand Constable of the Principality of Achaea, the strongest of the principalities of Frankish Greece. He succeeded his father, Geoffrey Chauderon, Baron of Estami ...

. A daughter, otherwise unknown, is also mentioned, who was sent to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

in 1261 as a hostage to the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

court.Bon (1969), pp. 127, 701 Apart from Estamira, John also acquired possession of

Roviata Roviata ( el, Ροβιάτα) is a village and a community in the municipal unit of Amaliada in the northwestern part of Elis, Greece. It is located in the plains near the Ionian Sea, 1 km southeast of Savalia, 6 km northwest of Kardamas, ...

and lands in Italy, some of which he exchanged in 1289 with

Hugh, Count of Brienne Hugh, Count of Brienne and Lecce ( 1240 – 9 August 1296) was the second surviving son of Count Walter IV of Brienne and Marie de Lusignan of Cyprus. Life His father, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon in Palestine, was murdered in 1244 in Cairo, and ...

for the fortress of Beauvoir (Pontikokastron). He is known to have had only a daughter, Bartholomée, who succeeded him in some of his domains in 1294. The fate of the barony is unclear, but it seems that at some point it reverted to the princely domain; in 1315–1316 it was held by the forces of

Ferdinand of Majorca Ferdinand of Majorca ( ca, Ferran de Mallorca; 1278 – 5 July 1316) was an ''infant'' of the Kingdom of Majorca; he was born at Perpignan, the third son of King James II. He was Viscount of Aumelas and Lord of Frontignan from 1311 and c ...

. Finally, some time in the late 14th century, possibly in 1370, Prince Philip III ceded the barony, along with the title of Grand Constable, to

Centurione I Zaccaria Centurione I Zaccaria (1336–1376) was a powerful noble in the Principality of Achaea in Frankish Greece. In 1345 he succeeded his father, Martino Zaccaria, as baron of Damala and lord of one half of the Barony of Chalandritsa, and in 1359 he acqui ...

. The barony remained in Zaccaria hands until the end of the Principality at the hands of the Byzantines of the

Despotate of the Morea The Despotate of the Morea ( el, Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μορέως) or Despotate of Mystras ( el, Δεσποτᾶτον τοῦ Μυστρᾶ) was a province of the Byzantine Empire which existed between the mid-14th and mid-15th centu ...

in 1429.

Theodora Tocco Theodora Tocco (née Maddalena Tocco) (died November 1429) was the first wife of Constantine Palaiologos while he was Despot of Morea. Her husband would become the last Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Family Maddalena Tocco was a daughter of ...

, wife of the Despot

Constantine Palaiologos Constantine XI Dragases Palaiologos or Dragaš Palaeologus ( el, Κωνσταντῖνος Δραγάσης Παλαιολόγος, ''Kōnstantînos Dragásēs Palaiológos''; 8 February 1405 – 29 May 1453) was the last Roman (Byzantine) e ...

, died at Stameron/Estamira (often confused with

Santameri Castle Santameri Castle ( el, Σανταμέρι) is a castle on the mountain Skollis near the boundary of Achaea and Elis in southwestern Greece. It was one of the strongest castles, controlling the Elean fields and the mountain passes to Tritaia. It was ...

) in November 1429. The castle of Estamira is reported as being in ruins in 1467; its location is now forgotten, but should lie east of

Gastouni Gastouni ( el, Γαστούνη) is a town and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pineios, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has ...

.Bon (1969), pp. 336–337

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Estamira, Barony of States and territories established in the 13th century Medieval Elis Baronies of the Principality of Achaea