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Gjergj Thopia Gjergj Topia | |
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Prince of Albania[1] Lord of Durrës | |
Prince of Albania | |
Reign | 1388—1392 |
Predecessor | Karl Thopia |
Successor | Helena Thopia |
Born | 14th Century Principality of Albania |
Died | 1392 |
Spouse | Teodora Branković |
House | Thopia |
Father | Karl Thopia |
Mother | Voisava Balsha |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Gjergj Thopia (Albanian: Gjergj Topia); fl. 1388 – d. 1392) was Prince of Albania and the Lord of Durrës from 1388 to 1392. He was the son of Karl Topia and Voisava Balsha.[2][3] Gjergj married Teodora, the daughter of sevastokrator Branko Mladenović.[4] During their reign, they were documented as possessing a crown decorated with pearls and precious stones and a golden crown, and four pairs of pearl earrings.[5]
Gjergj was required to return Durrës to the Republic of Venice in 1392.[6][7][8] Later that year, he died without issue.[9] His sister, Helena Thopia, gained the bulk of the rest of his holdings, whilst a smaller portion was left to his younger sister, Voisava Thopia.[10][11] He had two further half-siblings from his father's affairs, Niketa Thopia, who eventually attacked and forcefully took control of Krujë, as well as, Maria Thopia, who became Baroness of Botrugno in Italy and granted refuge to Helena and her son Stefan Maramonte.
...George declared himself princeps Albaniae...
...Gjergj Thopia, the son of Karolus Thopia and Voislava Balsha....
...The aforementioned sons fled back to their country. Later on, the said Lord Charles married Lady Voisava, the daughter of Lord Balsha, and had one son called George...
...A document of the year 1363 mentions a crown decorated with pearls and precious stones, while documents of the years 1393, 1399, and 1400 speak of a gold crown and four pairs of pearl earrings which belonged to the wife of Gjergj Topia...
...Upon the death of Karl Topia (1388) his sickly son Gjergj headed the principality. Being an ineffective ruler anyway, he yielded to Venetian pressure and left Durrës to Venice just before he died in 1392...
...This George pledged Durrës to the Venetians...
At the end of 1389, Carlo Thopia died and Durrës passed to his equally sickly son Giorgio, who died in 1392.
...but he died without leaving heirs...
...Later that year George Thopia died without issue. The bulk of his holdings, for he surrendered only Durazzo and environs to Venice, went to his sister Helena. (A small piece was left to his younger sister Vojsava, who was married to a patrician of Durazzo known as Lord [Kyr] Isaac. That couple continued to reside in Durazzo under the Venetians.)...
...The remainder of his principality was divided among the daughters of Karl and other relatives, who fought with both Venice and the Turks until Kruja fell to the latter in 1425...