The Zenevisi or Zenebishi ( 1304–1460) were a medieval
Albanian noble family. They governed territories in
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
, and were centered in
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and th ...
.
John Zenevisi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( sq, Gjon Zenebishi or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Argyrokastro (Gjirokastër) and Vagenetia.
Name
Zenevisi can be found with different spellin ...
was one of the most notable members of this family. Between 1373 and 1414 he controlled
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and th ...
and its surroundings. After the
Ottomans captured the region of Epirus, some members of the family fled to
Morea
The Morea ( el, Μορέας or ) was the name of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The name was used for the Byzantine province known as the Despotate of the Morea, by the Ottom ...
, while other members held high positions within Ottoman hierarchy.
History
Early History
The "Zenevias", probably the Zenevisi, are mentioned in 1304 as one of the families that were granted privileges by the
Angevin
Angevin or House of Anjou may refer to:
*County of Anjou or Duchy of Anjou, a historical county, and later Duchy, in France
**Angevin (language), the traditional langue d'oïl spoken in Anjou
**Counts and Dukes of Anjou
* House of Ingelger, a Frank ...
Philip I, Prince of Taranto
Philip I of Taranto (10 November 1278 – 26 December 1331), of the Angevin house, was titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople (as Philip II) by right of his wife Catherine of Valois–Courtenay, Despot of Romania, King of Albania, Prince of A ...
.
According to
Robert Elsie
Robert Elsie (June 29, 1950 – October 2, 2017) was a Canadian-born German scholar who specialized in Albanian literature and folklore.
Elsie was a writer, translator, interpreter, and specialist in Albanian studies, being the author of numerou ...
, the family originated from the
Zagoria region between
Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and th ...
and
Përmet
Përmet (; sq-definite, Permeti) is a city and municipality in Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. The municipality of Përmet consists of the administrative units of Çarçovë, Frashër, Petran, Qendër Piskovë and Përmet. The total popul ...
, in modern-day southern Albania.
In 1381 and 1384, the Catholic lords of Arta asked the Ottoman troops for protection against the invading Albanians under the Zenevisi; the Ottomans routed the raiders and restored order in Epirus.
John Zenevisi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( sq, Gjon Zenebishi or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Argyrokastro (Gjirokastër) and Vagenetia.
Name
Zenevisi can be found with different spellin ...
is one of the most notable members of this family.
Like many contemporary Balkan rulers who were under the cultural influence of the
Byzantine Empire
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 ...
, he adopted a title from the Byzantine court hierarchy for himself, that of ''
sevastokrator
''Sebastokrator'' ( grc-byz, Σεβαστοκράτωρ, Sevastokrátor, August Ruler, ; bg, севастократор, sevastokrator; sh, sebastokrator), was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers wh ...
''.
In 1399, during the battle of Mesopotamos, the Zenevisi defeated the army of Esau Buondelmonti. The Zenevisi captured the archontes of Ioannina and took Esau Buondelmonti as hostage. This victory would mark the heyday of the Zenevisi clan, which would last until 1418. During which, the Zenevisi clan annexed Saiata, Dryïnoupolis and made Gjirokastër the capital of their territory.
During the
Ottoman Interregnum
The Ottoman Interregnum, or the Ottoman Civil War ( 20 July 1402 – 5 July 1413; tr, Fetret Devri, , Interregnum Period), was a civil war in the Ottoman Empire between the sons of Sultan Bayezid I following the defeat of their father at the ...
(1402–13) Zenevisi lost territory to the
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...
; most of the mainland territories across from the Venetian possession of
Corfu were taken.
Ottoman period
Members of this family (as well as of the
Arianiti
The House of Arianiti were an Albanian noble family that ruled large areas in Albania and neighbouring areas from the 11th to the 16th century. Their domain stretched across the Shkumbin valley and the old Via Egnatia road and reached east to to ...
and
Muzaka
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 ...
clan) that initially resisted Ottoman expansion converted to Islam, while some of them rose to high positions within the Ottoman military and feudal hierarchy.
The Ottomans besieged and took control of
Gjirokaster, the capital of the Zenevisi lands, in 1418, and
John Zenevisi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( sq, Gjon Zenebishi or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Argyrokastro (Gjirokastër) and Vagenetia.
Name
Zenevisi can be found with different spellin ...
was killed in 1418 or 1419 by the Ottomans.
The territory that the Zenevisi controlled before their submission to the Ottomans was registered in an Ottoman ''defter'' (tax register) of 1431 as "the lands of Zenevisi" ( tr, Zenebisi ili).
After the annexation of their territories by the Ottomans, the remaining members of the Zenevesi clan emigrated to Morea.
In 1443 Simon Zenevisi, John's grandson, built the Strovili fortress with Venetian approval and support.
In 1454–55 Simon Zenevisi was recognized by
Alphonso V as a vassal of the
Kingdom of Naples.
John's son, known after his conversion to Islam as Hasan Bey, was a ''
subaşi'' in
Tetovo
Tetovo ( mk, Тетово, , sq, Tetovë/Tetova) is a city in the northwestern part of North Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River. The municipality of Tetovo covers an area of at above sea level, w ...
in 1455.
The other son of John, whose Muslim name was Hamza Zenevisi, was an Ottoman military commander who defeated the forces of the
Despots 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 ...
besieging
Patras in 1459.
In 1460, following the Ottoman conquest of the Morea, he became a
sanjakbey
''Sanjak-bey'', ''sanjaq-bey'' or ''-beg'' ( ota, سنجاق بك) () was the title given in the Ottoman Empire to a bey (a high-ranking officer, but usually not a pasha) appointed to the military and administrative command of a district (''sanjak' ...
of the
Sanjak of Mezistre
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian: окръг ('' okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
.
Members
John Zenevisi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( sq, Gjon Zenebishi or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Argyrokastro (Gjirokastër) and Vagenetia.
Name
Zenevisi can be found with different spellin ...
had the following descendants:
* A1. Anna ("Kyrianna"), Lady of Grabossa; married
Andrea III Musachi (fl. 1419)
* A2. Maria, +after 1419; married
Perotto d'Altavilla, the Baron of Corfu (+1445)
* A3.
Thopia Zenevisi Thopia may refer to:
* Thopia family, one of the most powerful Albanian feudal families in the Late Middle Ages
** Tanusio Thopia
** Karl Thopia
** George Thopia
** Helena Thopia
** Niketa Thopia
Niketa Thopia ( sq, Niketa Topia, la, Nicetas T ...
(d. 1435), Lord of Argyrokastron (1418–34), deposed by the Ottomans
** B1.
Simone Zenevisi
Simon Zenebishi () was an Albanian aristocrat and vassal of the Kingdom of Naples, who held the castle of Strovilo (Castrovilari), near Butrint, and was a member of the Zenevisi family of southern Albania. He probably dwelled in Corfu, and was l ...
, Lord of the Strovilo (1443–61), deposed by the Ottomans
*** C1. Alfonso (fl. 1456), an Ottoman political hostage who fled to Naples and became a Napolitan vassal
*** C2. Alessandro ("Lech"), Lord of Strovilo which he then sold to Venice in 1473
*** C3. Filippo, served Alessandro
* A4.
Hamza Zenevisi ("Amos", fl. 1456-60), an Ottoman political hostage, he was converted into Islam and entered Ottoman service. In 1460 he became a sanjakbey of the
Sanjak of Mezistre
Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ)
* Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province")
* Bulgarian: окръг ('' okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region")
* el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...
.
[
* A5. Hasan Zenevisi, ''subaşi'' in Tetovo in 1455.][
]
References
Sources
*
{{Medieval Albanian Principalities
Zenevisi family