Ivan Strez Balšić ( sr-cyr, Јован Стрез Балшић) or Gjon Balsha ( sq, Gjon Balsha); fl. 1444–1469) and his brothers George Strez and

Gojko Balšić Gojko Balšić or Gojko Balsha ( sr, Гојко Балшић; sq, Gojko Balsha; fl. 1444) and his brothers George Strez and John were the lords of Misia, a coastal area from the White Drin towards the Adriatic. The brothers were members of the ...

were the lords of Misia, a coastal area from the

White Drin The White Drin or White Drim ( sq, Drini i Bardhë,/ ''Beli Drim'') is a river in Kosovo and northern Albania, a ca. -long headstream of the Drin. Course Kosovo The Kosovo section of the White Drin flows entirely in the semi-karst part of ...

towards the Adriatic. The brothers were members of the Balšić family, which earlier held Zeta, but had now placed itself among the nobility in Albania. They participated in founding of the

League of Lezhë The League of Lezhë ( sq, Lidhja e Lezhës), also commonly referred to as the Albanian League ( sq, Lidhja Arbërore), was a military and diplomatic alliance of the Albanian aristocracy, created in the city of Lezhë on 2 March 1444. The Leag ...

, an alliance led by their maternal uncle

Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

. Ivan and Gojko supported Skanderbeg until he died in 1468 and then continued to fight against Ottomans together with Venetian forces. After Skanderbeg's death Venice installed Ivan Strez Balšić as Skanderbeg's successor.

Family

According to

Gjon Muzaka Gjon Muzaka (fl. 1510; it, Giovanni Musachi di Berat ) was an Albanian nobleman from the Muzaka family, that has historically ruled in the Myzeqe region, Albania. In 1510 he wrote a ''Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi'' (Shor ...

and

Karl Hopf Karl Hopf may refer to: * Karl Hopf (historian) Karl Hopf (Hamm, Westphalia, February 19, 1832 – Wiesbaden, August 23, 1873) or Carl Hermann Friedrich Johann Hopf was a historian and an expert in Medieval Greece, both Byzantine and Frankish. ...

, Ivan Strez Balšić and his brother Gojko were children of Vlajka Kastrioti and Stefan Strez; who was an illegitimate child of

Đurađ I Balšić Đurađ I Balšić ( sr-cyr, Ђурађ I Балшић), or Gjergj Balsha I ( sq, Gjergj Balsha I) was the Lord of Zeta between 1362 and 13 January 1378. He was the eldest of the three sons of Balša I, and belonged to the Balšić family. Lif ...

. According to Fan Noli, Ivan had two brothers (George Strez and Gojko) who were all children of Jela

Kastrioti The House of Kastrioti ( sq, Dera e Kastriotëve) was an Albanian noble family, active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of the Principality of Kastrioti. At the beginning of the 15th century, the family controlled a territory in the ...

and Pavle Balšić. Both views confirm that Gojko was Skanderbeg's nephew.Spandouginos-Nicol, p. 96: "Iella, who married Paul Balša"

Life

The three Balšić brothers joined the

, an Albanian alliance formed by their maternal uncle

Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...

, after meeting in

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. One of the main strongholds of the Labeatai, the earliest of the fortification walls of Lezhë are of typical Illyrian cons ...

on March 2, 1444. The members included

Lekë Zaharia Lekë Zaharia (? – 1444), was an Albanian nobleman from Zaharia family. He was the only son of his father Koja Zaharia and mother Bosa who also had one daughter, Bolja, who named her son Koja after her father. League of Lezhë In 1444 h ...

, Pjetër Spani,

Lekë Dushmani Lekë Dushmani was an Albanian nobleman and one of the founding members of League of Lezhë, formed on 2 March 1444. Life A member of the Dushmani family he ruled over the region of Zadrima, in modern Shkodër District. In Venetian documents ...

, Andrea Thopia,

Gjergj Arianiti Gjergj Arianiti (1383–1462) was an Albanian feudal lord who led several successful campaigns against the Ottoman Empire. He was the father of Donika, Skanderbeg's wife, as well as the grand-uncle of Moisi Arianit Golemi. Gjergj Arianiti was ...

, Theodor Muzaka,

Stefan Crnojević Stefan Crnojević ( sr-cyr, Стефан Црнојевић), known as Stefanica (Стефаница; 1426–1465) was the Lord of Zeta between 1451 and 1465. Until 1441, as a knyaz he was one of many governors in Upper Zeta, which at that t ...

, and their subjects. Skanderbeg was elected its leader, and commander in chief of its armed forces numbering a total of 8,000 warriors. Ivan was the commander of a unit of 500 cavalry sent by Skanderbeg to support Ferdinand I of Naples, whose rulership was threatened by the Angevin Dynasty, before Skanderbeg himself led a military expedition to Italy. Ivan Strez Balšić was perceived by Venice as Skanderbeg's successor. After Skanderbeg's death Ivan and his brother Gojko Balšić, together with Leke, Progon and

Nicholas Dukagjini Nicholas Dukagjini ( it, Nicolas Ducagin, sq, Nikollë Dukagjini) was a 15th-century member of the Dukagjini family. Biography Nicholas Dukagjini was the son of Gjergj (George) Dukagjini, who died before 1409 when Nicholas was mentioned for t ...

, continued to fight for Venice. In 1469 Ivan requested from the Venetian Senate to return him his confiscated property consisting of Castle Petrela, woivodate of "Terra nuova" of Kruje (unknown position), territory between Kruje and Durrës and villages in the region of Bushnesh (today part of the Kodër-Thumanë municipality). Venice largely conceded to the wishes of Ivan Balšić and installed him as Skanderbeg's successor.

Death

The Venetian chronicler Stefano Magno recorded details about Ivan's death. Ivan insisted that Venetian grain supplies to the Ottoman besieged Krujë could only be transported through his territory after a yearly licence was paid to him. Venetian governor of Scutari, Leonardo Boldü, realised that Ivan's requests could have serious consequences. He gathered forces consisting of Venetian militia from Scutari, commanded by their voivoda and joined with the forces of many noble families from

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

who were loyal to Venice. Ivan Balšić prepared an ambush in the house where he met with Venetians but they managed to kill Ivan in the ensuing fight and threw his head out of the house in front of his stunned followers.

Annotations

) and John.

References

Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Balsic, Ivan Strez Ivan Strez 15th-century rulers in Europe 15th-century Venetian people Skanderbeg