| Constantine Arianiti | |
|---|---|
 Late 15th-century medal depicting Constantine Arianiti, inscribed constantinvs cominatvs | |
| Prince of Macedonia (titular; self-proclaimed) | |
| Reign | c. 1494 – 8 May 1530 |
| Successor | Arianitto Arianiti |
| Duke of Achaea (titular; self-proclaimed) | |
| Reign | c. 1494 – 8 May 1530 |
| Despot of the Morea (titular; self-proclaimed) | |
| Reign | 1502/1507 – 8 May 1530 |
| Predecessor | Andreas Palaiologos |
| Rival claimant | Fernando Palaiologos (self-proclaimed) |
| Born | 1456/1457 Probably Durrës[1] Albania |
| Died | 8 May 1530 (aged c. 73/74) Montefiore Conca |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Francesca of Montferrat |
| Issue | Arianitto Arianiti Andronica Arianiti Penthesilea Arianiti Ippolita Arianiti Polissena Arianiti Deianira Arianiti Elena Arianiti |
| Dynasty | Arianiti |
| Father | Gjergj Arianiti |
| Mother | Pietrina Francone |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Constantine Cominato Arianiti (Italian: Constantino Cominato Arianiti,[a] Albanian: Kostandin Komneni Arianiti; 1456/1457 – 8 May 1530) also known as Constantine Komnenos Arianites,[3] was a 15th and 16th-century Albanian[4] nobleman, military leader, diplomat and pretender who lived most of his life in exile in Italy due to the conquest of his homeland by the Ottoman Empire. Constantine sought to establish himself as a leader among the Christian Balkan refugees in Italy and claimed lordship over various former Christian lands in Greece, using the titles Prince of Macedonia, Duke of Achaea and Despot of the Morea.
The son of Gjergj Arianiti, an Albanian lord who had fought alongside the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg against the Ottomans, Constantine was taken to Italy for his safety in 1469, after the death of his father. In Italy, Constantine was noticed by Pope Sixtus IV, who provided him with a pension, and he quickly made a successful career for himself. In c. 1489, he married into the Palaeologus-Montferrat family, a branch of the Byzantine imperial Palaiologos dynasty, through marriage to Francesca of Montferrat, a probably illegitimate daughter of Boniface III, Marquis of Montferrat. The marriage resulted in Constantine's wealth and status increasing, and also paved the way for his tenure as regent of Montferrat, on behalf of Boniface's young son William IX, from 1495 to 1499.
In the early 16th century, Constantine served as a diplomat to the popes and the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, with both parties finding him to be a talented ambassador. Following his assumption of the titles 'Prince of Macedonia' and 'Duke of Achaea', to which he had no real claim, in the 1490s, Constantine partook in various schemes to organize expeditions against the Ottoman Empire, being involved in at least three separate crusade-related plans throughout his life. At some point between 1502 and 1507, Constantine assumed the title 'Despot of the Morea', previously legitimately used by Andreas Palaiologos, another title which he had no genealogical claim to. Despite his tenuous association with these titles, Constantine adamantly defended his use of them and, as seen through the roles he was expected to play in the various schemes he engaged in, was ready to risk his life to enforce his claims.
In 1514 of 1515, Constantine was appointed as the local governor of the town of Fano in the March of Ancona by Pope Leo X. Constantine may have aspired to become a leading figure among the many Balkan refugees in the March of Ancona, but any such dreams did not come to fruition. Instead, papal taxation policies made Constantine, as the governmental representative, disliked, and contemporary writings mock his insistence on his high-sounding titles. He was removed from office by Leo in 1516, following a riot by the locals, but was reinstated by Pope Clement VII in 1524, whereafter Constantine governed Fano from a mountain fortress at Montefiore Conca until his death in 1530. His only son, Arianitto Arianiti, continued his father's pretensions by using the title 'Prince of Macedonia', but relinquished Constantine's other titles.
- ^ Babinger 1962.
- ^ Hill 1914, p. 221.
- ^ Harris 2013, p. 643.
- ^ Harris 2013, p. 651.
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