Catherine Le Maure was a French noblewoman 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 ...

. She was the de facto Baroness of Arcadia and Lady of Saint-Sauveur. She was the eldest daughter of the Erard III Le Maure, Baron of Arcadia. She had two sisters, Lucie and Marie and a brother that died young. At the end of the 14th century Catherine married to

Andronikos Asen Zaccaria Andronikos Asen Zaccaria de Damala or Asanes (died 1401) was a Genoese lord of the Principality of Achaea in southern Greece. Life Andronikos Asen Zaccaria was the son of Centurione I Zaccaria, member of the Genoese Zaccaria dynasty, and a woman ...

, the leader of the great Genoese

Zaccaria The Zaccaria family was an ancient and noble Genoese dynasty that had great importance in the development and consolidation of the Republic of Genoa in the thirteenth century and in the following period. The Zaccarias were characterized by, accor ...

house of Morea. Andronikos was one of the strongest men inside the Principality as Grand Constable of Achaea and Baron of

Chalandritsa Chalandritsa ( el, Χαλανδρίτσα) is a town and a community in Achaea, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Erymanthos, of which it is the seat of administration. Chalandritsa is si ...

, Estamira and Lysarea. Catherine, like other princesses in the history of the Principality of Achaea such as Isabella Villehardouin or

Matilda of Hainaut Matilda of Hainaut ( French: ''Mathilde de Hainaut''; November 1293 – 1331), also known as Maud and Mahaut, was Princess of Achaea from 1316 to 1321. She was the only child of Isabella of Villehardouin and Florent of Hainaut, co-rulers of Achae ...

, was one of the most desired brides, as she was heiress of Arcadia, and many lords wished to add her lands to their domain through a matrimonial union. The marriage ceremony with Andronikos followed the Greek orthodox rite. The rights of Andronikos and Catherine under Arcadia were challenged by

John Laskaris Kalopheros John Laskaris Kalopheros (1325/30–1392) was a wealthy Byzantine aristocrat who converted to Catholicism and served as an advisor and diplomat to the Kingdom of Cyprus, the Papacy and the Republic of Venice. He played a prominent role in negotiati ...

, husband of her sister Lucie Le Maure and their son and heir Erard Laskaris. Erard III compensated his son in law John with money and a house in Modon. After 1388, a lament upon the passing away of Erard III Le Maure was added into the narrative of the

Chronicle of Morea The ''Chronicle of the Morea'' ( el, Τὸ χρονικὸν τοῦ Μορέως) is a long 14th-century history text, of which four versions are extant: in French, Greek (in verse), Italian and Aragonese. More than 9,000 lines long, the ''Ch ...

, likely to have been carried out by members of the baron's own family relatively soon after the death, presumably on the environment of Catherine and Andronikos. Centurione, her eldest son, named his daughter

Catherine Zaccaria Catherine Zaccaria or Catherine Palaiologina ( grc-x-medieval, Αἰκατερίνα Παλαιολογίνα; died 26 August 1462) was the daughter of the last Prince of Achaea, Centurione II Zaccaria. In September 1429 she was betrothed to the Byz ...

after his Le Maure mother. This princess later married to

Thomas Palaiologos Thomas Palaiologos or Palaeologus ( el, Θωμᾶς Παλαιολόγος; 1409 – 12 May 1465) was Despot of the Morea from 1428 until the fall of the despotate in 1460, although he continued to claim the title until his death five years late ...

, becoming Despoina of Morea. Catherine and Andronikos had four sons: # Centurione II (died 1432): Baron of Chalandritsa and Bailee for Maria II Zaccaria. On 1404 King

Ladislaus of Naples Ladislaus the Magnanimous ( it, Ladislao, hu, László; 15 February 1377 – 6 August 1414) was King of Naples from 1386 until his death and an unsuccessful claimant to the kingdoms of Hungary and Croatia. Ladislaus was a skilled political and m ...

appointed and confirmed Centurione as Prince of Achaea. # Erard IV of Arcadia: Andronikos and Catherine inherited the Barony of Arcadia to Erard that Catherine christened after her father. When Erard IV died Arcadia passed to his eldest brother Centurione. # Benedict: little is known of Benedict. On 1418 he was present in Glarentza defending the city against the forces of Olivier Franco. He was imprisoned by Franco and then ransomed. #

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

(died 1424): Latin Archbishop of Patras. He caried the name of Stephen Le Maure, grandfather of Catherine.

References

Women from the Principality of Achaea Barons of Arcadia 14th-century births 1400s deaths {{Greece-hist-stub