View source for Duchy of Neopatras

{{Short description|Medieval Greek duchy (1319–1390)}}
{{hatnote|The term "Duchy of Neopatras" is also frequently, but inaccurately, used for the [[History of Thessaly#Thessaly as an autonomous principality|autonomous principality]] established by [[John I Doukas]] in 1267/8, that encompassed all of [[Thessaly]].}}
{{Infobox country
|native_name = 
|conventional_long_name = Duchy of Neopatras
|common_name = Neopatras
|era       = Middle Ages 
|status    = Under the suzerainty of the [[Kingdom of Sicily]], after itself part of [[Crown of Aragon]]
|government_type = [[Feudal]] [[duchy]]

|year_start  = 1319 
|year_end = 1390

|event_start = Sicilian capture of [[Neopatras]] by [[Alfonso Fadrique|Frederick Alfonso of Sicily]]
|event_end   = Neopatras conquered by [[Nerio I Acciaioli]]

|p1          = John II Doukas
|flag_p1     = 
|s1          = Serbian Empire
|flag_s1     = Flag of the Serbian Empire, reconstruction.svg
|s2          = Nerio I Acciaioli
|flag_s2     = Flag of Florence.svg

|image_map    = Ducat de Neopàtria.svg
|image_map_caption  = 
|image_coat   = Coat of Arms of the Duchy of Neopatria.svg
|symbol       = 
|symbol_type  = Coat of arms of the Duchy of Neopatras<br>''Argent, a saltire gules between four crosses couped of the second''

|capital          = [[Ypati|Neopatras]]
|common_languages = <br>[[Greek language|Greek]] popularly
|religion         = [[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholic]] officially,<br>[[Greek Orthodox]] popularly

|title_leader = 
|footnotes   = 
}}

The '''Duchy of Neopatras''' ({{langx|ca|Ducat de Neopàtria}}; {{langx|scn|Ducatu di Neopatria}}; {{langx|el|Δουκάτο Νέων Πατρών}}; {{langx|la|Ducatus Neopatriae}}) was a principality in southern [[Thessaly]], established in 1319. Officially part of the [[Kingdom of Sicily]], itself part of the [[Crown of Aragon]], the duchy was governed in conjunction with the neighbouring [[Duchy of Athens]], it enjoyed a large degree of self-government. From the mid-14th century, the duchies entered a period of decline: most of the Thessalian possessions were lost to the [[Serbian Empire]], internal dissensions arose, along with the menace of [[Anatolian beyliks|Turkish]] piracy in the Aegean and the onset of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] expansion in the Balkans. Enfeebled, the Catalan possessions were taken over by the Florentine adventurer [[Nerio I Acciaioli]] in 1385–1390. The title of Duke of Neopatras was held by the heir of the [[List of Sicilian monarchs|King of Sicily]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nardi|first=Carlo|url=http://www.bibliotecanapoletana.it/assets/archivio/libri/regno_napoli/082.pdf|title=De' titoli del Re delle Due Sicilie|year=1747|language=it}}</ref>

== History ==
When the Greek ruler of [[Thessaly]], [[John II Doukas]], died in 1318 without an heir, his domains fell into chaos. The [[Almogavars]] of the [[Catalan Company]], who had [[Battle of Halmyros|recently conquered]] most of the [[Duchy of Athens]] to the south of Thessaly, took advantage of the situation to push north. Led by [[Alfonso Fadrique]], the Catalans took [[Neopatras]] in 1319, and by 1325 had also conquered [[Zetounion]], [[Loidoriki]], [[Siderokastron]] and [[Vitrinitsa]], as well as—apparently briefly—[[Domokos]], [[Gardiki, Phthiotis|Gardiki]] and [[Farsala|Pharsalus]].{{sfn|Nicol|1984|pp=80, 101}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=243}}{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=74}} The central and northern part of Thessaly remained in Greek hands under a series of local magnates, some of whom recognized [[Byzantine]] suzerainty, like [[Stephen Gabrielopoulos]] of [[Trikala]]; others, however, like the Maliasenos family around [[Volos]], turned to the Catalans for support.{{sfn|Nicol|1984|pp=80, 101}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=246}}

The Greek rulers of Thessaly had long, but erroneously, been known as "Dukes of Neopatras" by Western European contemporaries from their capital, modern [[Ypati]]; this was a result of confusion from the family name of [[Doukas]], which Western Europeans mistook as the title of "duke".{{sfn|Polemis|1968|p=97, esp. note 2}}<ref>The actual title borne by the rulers of Thessaly was that of {{Transliteration|grc|[[sebastokrator]]}}. Properly speaking this was not hereditary, but had to be conferred anew by the reigning [[Byzantine emperor]] to each bearer. {{harvnb|Polemis|1968|pp=97–98}}</ref> As a result, the territory conquered by the Catalans in Thessaly was organized as the "Duchy of Neopatras" and was divided into five [[Captaincy|captaincies]].{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=243}} The Catalans selected the infant [[Manfred, Duke of Athens|Manfred]], son of King [[Frederick III of Sicily]], as their duke, but actual power was wielded by the Duke's local representative, the [[vicar-general]], as well as by the marshal ({{lang|la|mariscalus exercitus ducatuum}}) as the elected head of the Company members.{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=74}}

[[File:Aragonese Greece.svg|thumb|left|Aragonese activity in Greece.]]

Most of the Duchy's possessions in Thessaly were lost when the region was conquered by the [[Serbian Empire|Serbs]] of [[Stefan Dushan]] in 1348, but Neopatras and the region around it remained in Catalan hands.{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=398}} In 1377, the title of Duke of Athens and Neopatras was assumed by [[Peter IV of Aragon]].{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=76}} It was preserved among the subsidiary titles of his successors, and was regularly included in the [[List of titles and honours of the Spanish Crown|full title]] of the [[List of Spanish monarchs|Spanish monarchs]] at least until the [[War of the Spanish Succession|takeover of the Spanish crown]] by the [[House of Bourbon]].{{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=187}}

In 1378–79, the Aragonese lost most of their possessions in [[Boeotia]] to the [[Navarrese Company]], while from the south the ambitious Florentine adventurer [[Nerio I Acciaioli|Nerio Acciaioli]], lord of [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]], took over [[Megara]] in 1374 and began applying pressure on Athens.{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|p=76}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|pp=401–402}} By 1380, the Catalans were left only with the two capitals of Athens and Neopatras, as well as the [[County of Salona]]. Athens fell to Acciaioli in 1388, and in 1390 he captured Neopatras as well. Acciaioli could boast in the title "Lord of Corinth and of the Duchy of Athens and Neopatras", but his triumph was short-lived: in 1393/4 the [[Ottoman Turks]] conquered Neopatras and the entire [[Spercheios River]] valley.{{sfn|Koder|Hild|1976|pp=76–77}}{{sfn|Fine|1994|p=404}}

Ecclesiastically, Neopatras largely corresponded to the [[Latin Archbishopric of Neopatras]] ({{lang|ca|L'Arquebisbat de la pàtria}}), which had one suffragan: Zetounion (Lamia). Among the Catalan archbishops was [[Ferrer d'Abella]], who tried to have himself transferred to a west European [[episcopal see|see]].

== Dukes of Neopatras ==
* [[William II of Athens|William]] (1319&ndash;1338)
* [[John, Duke of Randazzo|John]] (1338&ndash;1348)
* [[Frederick I, Duke of Athens|Frederick I]] (1348&ndash;1355)
* [[Frederick the Simple|Frederick II]] (1355&ndash;1377)
* [[Maria, Queen of Sicily|Maria]] (1377&ndash;1379)
* [[Peter IV of Aragon|Peter]] (1379&ndash;1387)

== Vicars-general ==
The vicars-general acted as local representatives of the dukes and were the governors of the twin duchy, originally for the Crown of Sicily, and after 1379 for the Crown of Aragon:

* [[Alfonso Fadrique]] (1319 – {{circa|1330}}){{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=173, 188–189}}
* [[Odo of Novelles]], possibly appointed ''pro tempore'' to lead the war against [[Walter VI of Brienne]] in 1331{{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=190, 197}}
* [[Nicholas Lancia]] ({{circa|1331}}–1335){{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=190, 197}}
* [[Raymond Bernardi]] (1354–1356){{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=197–198}}
* [[Gonsalvo Ximénez of Arenós]] (1359){{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=198}}
* [[Matthew of Moncada]] (1359–1361){{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=198}}
* [[Peter de Pou]] (1361–1362){{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=198}}
* [[Roger de Llúria (Duchy of Athens)|Roger de Llúria]] (1362–1369/70), ''de facto'' and unrecognized until 1366{{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=198–199}}
* [[Gonsalvo Ximénez of Arenós]] (1362–1363), uncertain{{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=198}}
* [[Matthew of Moncada]] (1363–1366), only ''de jure''{{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=198}}
* [[Matthew of Peralta]] (1370–1374){{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=199}}
* [[Louis Fadrique]] (1375–1381){{sfn|Setton|1975b|p=199}}
* [[Philip Dalmau, Viscount of Rocaberti]] (1379–1386, ''de facto'' only during his stay in Greece 1381–1382){{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=220–223, 235, 238, 240–241}}
** [[Raymond de Vilanova]] (1382–1386), deputy of Philip Dalmau after his departure from Greece{{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=235, 238, 240–242}}
* [[Bernard of Cornellà]] (1386–1387), never actually went to Greece{{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=241–242}}
* [[Philip Dalmau, Viscount of Rocaberti]] (1387–1388){{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=243–244}}
** [[Peter of Pau]] (1386–1388), deputy of Bernard of Cornellà and then of Philip Dalmau in Greece until the fall of Athens to Nerio Acciaioli{{sfn|Setton|1975b|pp=241–245}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Sources ==
{{Sfn whitelist |CITEREFSetton1975b}}
* {{The Late Medieval Balkans}}
* {{Tabula Imperii Byzantini | volume = 1}}
* {{The Latins in the Levant}}
* {{The Despotate of Epiros, 1267–1479}}
* {{Polemis-The Doukai}}
* {{cite book |first = Kenneth M. | last = Setton | author-link = Kenneth Setton | title=Catalan Domination of Athens 1311–1388, Revised Edition |year=1975 |publisher=Variorum | location = London | isbn = 0-902089-77-3 | ref={{harvid|Setton|1975a}}}}
* {{Wisconsin History of the Crusades |first = Kenneth M. |last = Setton |author-link = Kenneth Setton|chapter = The Catalans in Greece, 1311–1388|pages = 167–224|volume=3 | ref={{harvid|Setton|1975b}}}}

{{Crusader States|state=expanded}}
{{Frankish and Latin Greece}}

{{coord|38.6517|22.3059|type:country|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neopatras, Duchy of}}
[[Category:Duchy of Neopatras| ]]
[[Category:Crown of Aragon]]
[[Category:States of Frankish and Latin Greece]]
[[Category:Duchy of Athens]]
[[Category:Former countries in the Balkans]]
[[Category:History of Phocis]]
[[Category:History of Phthiotis]]
[[Category:Medieval Central Greece]]
[[Category:Medieval Thessaly]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1319]]
[[Category:1390 disestablishments in Europe]]
[[Category:Ypati]]
[[Category:Spercheios Valley]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1390]]