Gjergj Arianiti

Gjergj Arianiti (13??–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 uncle of Moisi Golemi. Gjergj Arianiti was Skanderbeg's ally within the League of Lezhë before abandoning the alliance after the capture of Berat by the Ottomans in 1450. Later, he returned. Robert Elsie emphasizes that Arianiti was often Skanderbeg's rival. He allied with the Kingdom of Naples in 1446, left his alliance with Skanderbeg by 1449 and allied with Venice in 1456. However, his daughter married Skanderbeg and he remained officially part of the League of Lezhë, continuing to fight Ottomans successfully up to his death in 1462.

In correspondence with Slavic chancelleries, his name appears in the Slavic form as "Golem Arianit Komnenovic" (Golemi Arenit Cominovich), and a 1452 document referring to him as "Golemi Arenit Comninovich de Albania". Another form of his surname, Haryanites, was used in a French document of the Charles VII era. According to Franz Babinger and Lindsay L. Brook, Arianiti's mother was certainly a daughter of Nicolò Sevati; while according to Dhimitër Shuteriqi she was the daughter of Nikollë Zaharia. Gjergj was the oldest of three sons, his two brothers being Muzakë and Vladan. During the fall of 1443 and the winter of 1444 he led an army deep into Macedonia. During the same time, the Ottomans were routed at Niš and Skanderbeg deserted the Ottoman army and began another rebellion. Skanderbeg eventually allied with Gjergj Arianit and some other nobles from Albania and Zeta through the League of Lezhë. In May–July 1435 Bulgarian prince Fruzhin visited Albania and met Arianiti the leaders of the revolt, on a secret diplomat mission of emperor Sigismund.

1449–51 At the beginning of 1449, Skanderbeg and Arianiti approached the Venetians requesting their protection from the Ottomans. Venice opted for neutral approach, not to jeopardize peace with Ottomans, and refused their request. By 1449 Gjergj Arianiti left his alliance with Skanderbeg. Thopia Musachi, Peter of Himara, Simon Zenevisi and Carlo Tocco.

1460–62

He brought together his last resistance force between 1460 and 1462. In an open front, Mehmet II ordered movements into Albania to engage a group of Arianiti's warriors. He then surrounded Gjergj Arianiti by moving through the valley of Furka all the way through Shushicë. Fierce engagements began, but Sopoti was not captured and the Ottoman encirclement failed. The people compared Gjergj Arianiti to Skanderbeg. To celebrate this victory, the army was taken to Galigat after the Ottomans had fully left Albania. However, when the Ottomans heard of this, they traveled back to Albania at night. The fortress of Sopot, left with a garrison chosen by Arianiti, still could not be taken. Only through bribery and treachery was it possible for the castle be taken. The Ottoman commander took advantage of Arianiti's absence by launching a large attack with his main army. The Ottomans soon entered the castle, and in revenge for the defeats they had suffered, the entire population was massacred.

Possessions

Arianiti was the only Albanian leader to have two capitals: one near the coast in Kanina, and another near the eastern mountains in Sopot. His dominions acted as the first defense against many of the Ottoman expeditions and served as one of the main centers of the League of Lezhë. The union between the Kastrioti and Arianiti did not have much effect due to the exposed territories of Arianiti.

Family His first marriage was to Maria Muzaka, daughter of Andrea III Muzaka and Anna Chiranna Zenevisi, with whom he had eight daughters. After her death, Gjergj Arianiti married Lady Pietrina Francone, daughter of the Italian noble Oliver Francone. The couple had five more children.

From his first marriage (c.1420s–1440s) with Maria Muzaka, Arianiti had the following issue:

Andronika, more commonly known by the nickname Donika, married Skanderbeg, Lord of Albania in 1448. She is traditionally regarded as Albania's first Queen Consort. Such title, however, would officially be held only by Géraldine Apponyi de Nagy during Zog I's reign. Donika and Skanderbeg had one son, John Castriot II, Duke of San Pietro in Galatina, who married Princess Irene Brankovich, the daughter of Serbian Despot Lazar Branković. Voisava, Lady of Zeta married Ivan I of Zeta with whom she had two sons, George and Stanislaus of Zeta. Chiranna, married Nicholas Pal Dukagjini. At the time of her marriage she was 14 or 15 years old, while the groom might have been between 14 and 20 years of age. The couple had one son who survived into adulthood, Progon Dukagjini. Helena, was the wife of George III Dukagjini. Many of the couple's children, such as Nicholas III, allied with the Ottomans later in life. Another son, named Scanderbeg is mentioned in Gjon Muzaka's Chronicles to have been still alive by 1515, ruling as a Sanjakbey. The couple had two sons, who died in Hungary. Thomas Arianiti Constantine, who became a leader among Christian Balkan refugees in Italy and used the titles Prince of Macedonia, Duke of Achea and Despot of Morea. In the early 16th century, Constantine served as a diplomat to the popes and the future Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, with both parties finding him a talented ambassador. In 1489 he married Lady Francesca of Montferrat, member of the Palaeologus-Montferrat family, branch of the Byzantine Imperial Palaiologos dynasty, and a step-daughter to his niece Maria of Serbia. From 1495 to 1499 he became regent of Montferrat, on behalf of the young William IX, his brother-in law and grand-nephew. With Francesca, Constantine had the following children: Arianitto, Prince of Macedonia Andronica, married to Carlo III Tocco then after his death to Giorgio Secco, a milanese nobleman. Penthesilea, married to Alexander Ducagjini Ippolita, married to Zanobi de' Medici of the Italian Medici family, upon whose death in 1529 Pope Clement VII bestowed on her the right to inherit from him for life the title of Countess of Verucchio and Scorticata. She remarried in 1532 to of the Pio di Savoia family. Polissena, married Rinaldo degli Ottoni di Matelica. Deianira, married Giorgio Trivulzio. Elena, married Juan de Luna, a castillian nobleman. Lord Arianitto Arianiti