Leonardo IV Tocco (full name ''Giovanni Leonardo Tocco'', 1510–1564) was the titular

Despot of Epirus The despot of Epirus was the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, one of the successor states of the Byzantine Empire in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade. The name "Despotate of Epirus" and the title "despot of Epirus" are modern historiographical ...

and

Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos The County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos existed from 1185 to 1479 as part of the Kingdom of Sicily. The title and the right to rule the Ionian islands of Cephalonia and Zakynthos was originally given to Margaritus of Brindisi for his serv ...

from the death of his father

Carlo III Tocco Carlo III Tocco (1464–1518) was the titular despot of Epirus and count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from the death of his father Leonardo III Tocco to his own death in 1518. Carlo lived in Rome, where he received pensions from both the ...

in 1518 to his own death in 1564. His mother was Andronica Arianiti, daughter of

Constantine Arianiti Constantine Cominato Arianiti (Italian language, Italian: ''Constantino Cominato Arianiti'', Albanian language, Albanian: ''Kostandin Komneni Arianiti''; 1456/1457 – 8 May 1530) also known as Constantine Komnenos Arianites, was a 15th and 16th- ...

, also a claimant to various lands in Greece. From his maternal grandfather, Leonardo was granted the fortress of

Refrancore Refrancore (Piedmontese: ''Ël Francó'' or ''Arfrancor'') is a village and ''comune'' in the northwestern Italian province of Asti in the Piedmont region, located some east of Asti in the Basso Monferrato. The territory of the ''comune'' extend ...

, which he held under the title ''signore'' (lord).

Biography

Leonardo IV Tocco, born at some point in the 1510s, was the son and heir of

, titular

and

. Leonardo's mother was Andronica Arianiti, a daughter of

, another claimant to various lands in Greece. Following the fall of the Despotate of Epirus in 1479 and the loss of the family's lands in Greece, the Tocco family lived as exiles in Italy. Upon Carlo III's death in 1518, Leonardo inherited his titles. He also gained several other distinctions and honours. As a nobleman, he is attested as a

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

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

and as the Lord (''signore'') of

. The fortress of Refrancore had been granted to Leonardo by his maternal grandfather, Constantine Arianiti, who periodically served as regent of the nearby

Montferrat Montferrat (, ; it, Monferrato ; pms, Monfrà , locally ; la, Mons Ferratus) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Province of Alessandria, ...

. At points he also served as a councillor of the

viceroys of Naples This is a list of viceroys of the Kingdom of Naples. Following the conquest of Naples by Louis XII of France in 1501, Naples was subject to the rule of the foreign rulers, the Kings of France, Aragon and Spain and the Habsburg Archdukes of Austria ...

. Leonardo owned several mills in Italy as well as some stores in the markets of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. Altogether, his assets granted him an annual income of 400

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin ''s ...

. Leonardo married Maddalena (Graziosa) Colli, daughter of Cesare Colli, Lord of

Quattordio Quattordio (Quatòrdi in Piedmontese) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about west of Alessandria. Quattordio borders the following municipalities: ...

and patrician of Alessandria. The couple had five children together; four sons and one daughter. Maddalena predeceased Leonardo, dying on 16 February 1560. Leonardo died four years later, at some point in 1564. The executor of his will, dated to 6 June 1564, was Benedetto Carbonato.

Family

With his wife Maddalena, Leonardo IV had the following five children: * Carlo Tocco (? – shortly after 6 June 1564), patrician of Venice. He is attested as having been married, but the name of his wife is not recorded. Had a son, Giovan Domenico Leonardo, dead before 6 June 1564, and a daughter, Costanza. *

Francesco Tocco Francesco Tocco (died 16 August 1596) was the titular Despot of Epirus and County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from the death of his father Leonardo IV Tocco in 1564 to his own death in 1596. He s ...

(? – 16 August 1596), Lord of Refrancore, patrician of Venice and heir to Leonardo IV's titles. Married Veronica Malaspina. The line of Tocco claimants continued through Francesco and his son Leonardo V Tocco. * Giovanni Tocco (? – 12 May 1626), Lord of Refrancore (''consignore'', alongside Francesco), patrician of Venice and Naples. Served as a member of the city council of

Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrus ...

in 1600 and worked as an infantry captain in Portugal. Married Beatrice Salinas de Hermosa. They couple had four children; sons Carlo and Gonsalvo as well as daughters Costanza and Porzia. * Costantino Tocco (? – before 16 August 1596; will dated to 15 December 1588), infantry captain in Portugal. Married a woman by the name Giuliana whose noble house is uncertain. They had only a single child, the daughter Andronica. * Stratonica (or Andronica) Tocco (? – after 9 June 1583), their only daughter. Patrician of Venice.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{s-end 1564 deaths Tocco family 16th-century despots of Epirus Counts palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos Lords in Italy