Niketa Thopia ( sq, Niketa Topia, la, Nicetas Thopia; 1388 – d. 1415) was the Lord of

Krujë Krujë ( sq-definite, Kruja; see also the etymology section) is a town and a municipality in north central Albania. Located between Mount Krujë and the Ishëm River, the city is only 20 km north from the capital of Albania, Tirana. Kruj ...

between 1392—1394 and 1403—1415. He was a member of the

Thopia family The Thopia family was one of the most powerful Albanian feudal families in the Late Middle Ages. It was initially part of the nobility of the Angevin Kingdom of Albania. Early history The first attestation of the Thopia can be found in an Ang ...

and the son of

Karl Topia Karl Thopia ( sq, Karl Topia) was an Albanian feudal prince and warlord who ruled Albania from the middle of the 14th century until the first Ottoman conquest of Albania. Thopia usually maintained good relations with the Roman Curia. Family ...

, the Prince of Albania (r. 1368–1388).

Life

Niketa was the son of

. His mother is unknown. Upon Karl Topia's death (1388),

Marco Barbarigo Marco Barbarigo (c. 1413 – August 14, 1486) was the 73rd Doge of Venice from 1485 until 1486. His nomination took place on a new staircase in the courtyard of the Doge's Palace, on an axis with the Campanile of St. Mark and the Porta della Cart ...

inherited Krujë through his marriage with Helena, Niketa's older sister; Niketa's older brother Gjergj succeeded as Lord of Durazzo. Niketa held a territory south of Durazzo. After the death of Bayezid (1402), many Albanian lords recognised Venetian suzerainty, such as Niketa,

Gjon Kastrioti Gjon Kastrioti (1375/80 – 4 May 1437), was a member of the Albanian nobility, from the House of Kastrioti, and the father of future Albanian leader Gjergj Kastrioti (better known as Skanderbeg). He governed the territory between the Cape of ...

and

Koja Zaharija Koja Zaharia or Koja Zakaria ( it, Coia Zaccaria) (? – before 1442) was an Albanian nobleman and a member of the Zaharia family. Name In Ragusan documents he is referred to as Kojčin or Gojčin. Because of that, many scholars like Nicolae ...

. The Venetians were interested in having some buffer zone between them and the advancing Ottoman army. In 1403, Niketa Thopia managed to capture the city of

from his sister,

Helena Thopia Helena Thopia ( 1388–1403) was an Albanian princess of the Thopia family who held the Krujë region as sovereign lady for two terms; 1388-1392 and 1394–1403. Life Princess Helena Thopia was the eldest daughter of Karl Thopia and Voisava Bal ...

, thus gaining another part of the territory previously held by the Thopia family.Anamali, Skënder and Prifti, Kristaq. Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime. Botimet Toena, 2002, p.251-252 His daughter Mara married Balsha III in 1407 and had a daughter Jelena, named after her grandmother

Jelena Lazarević Jelena Lazarević ( sr-cyr, Јелена Лазаревић; 1365/1366 – 1443), also known, by marriages, as Jelena Balšić Hranić or Jelena Balšić or Jelena Kosača, was a medieval Serbian princess, daughter of Prince Lazar of Serbi ...

. Balsha III and Niketa entered an alliance in order to drive out the Venetians. Niketa then started to be a mediator between Balsha and Venetians during the

First Scutari War The First Scutari War ( sr, Први скадарски рат) was an armed conflict in 1405–1412 between Zeta and the Venetian Republic over Scutari and other former possessions of Zeta captured by Venice. Background Before this war Zeta wa ...

. At the end of 1411, Niketa Thopia suffered a heavy defeat from the forces of

Teodor III Muzaka Theodor Musachi ( sq, Theodhor Koronë Muzaka) or Teodor III Muzaka, was an Albanian nobleman who led the 1437–38 revolt against the Ottomans and was one of the founders of the League of Lezhë in 1444. Family Theodor Musachi was а member ...

during one skirmish. He himself was held prisoner and with the intervention of the

Ragusan Republic hr, Sloboda se ne prodaje za sve zlato svijeta it, La libertà non si vende nemmeno per tutto l'oro del mondo"Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world" , population_estimate = 90 000 in the XVI Century , currency = ...

was released, but only after conceding some territories around the

Shkumbin The Shkumbin (; ; la, Genusus, also la, Genessus, label=none or la, Scampis, label=none), also commonly Shkembi, is a river in Southern Europe. It is long and its drainage basin is . Its average discharge is . Etymology It derives from La ...

river to the

Muzaka family The Muzaka were an Albanian noble family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe (southern Albania) in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan. The earliest historical document that mention Muzaka ...

. Upon his death in 1415, the castle of Krujë fell into Ottomans' hands. He married the daughter of

Komnen Arianiti Komnen Arianiti ( 1392–1407) was an Albanian nobleman of the Arianiti family, who held an area in central Albania around Durrës. His son Gjergj became a prominent leader of the Ottoman-Albanian wars. Life The Albanian Academy treats him a ...

Notes

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Thopia, Niketa 14th-century rulers in Europe Niketa Year of birth unknown 1415 deaths 14th-century Albanian people 15th-century Albanian people

Life

See also

Notes

Sources