Ioannis Genovelis

Ioannis Genovellis (Preveza, circa 17601841, Vonitsa) was a governor, a member of Filiki Eteria, a military man and a politician, who in 1825 was elected as the first prefect of Athens. He excelled both in the military and in politics as he showed great patriotism and bravery. He was appointed as a major general and a senator. Apart from his political talents, Genovellis was linguistically cultivated having heeded the teachings of priest Dionysus of Akarnana. He did not have any children and lived as a pensioner in Vonitsa. He most likely died in 1841 at an age of over 80 years old. From 1843 onwards, his widowed wife received a monthly pension of 30 drachmae.

Origins Genovellis was born in Preveza (circa 1760) into one of the most powerful families of the town, which was of Italian origin and had settled in Preveza after its second capture by the Venetians in 1718. In documents dating back to the Venetian period, the family name is written as Ginavelli or Ginovelli or Genovelli. In a document that dates back to 1787, he is referenced as Zuanne di Nicolo Ginavelli in a register of men from Preveza who are able to bear arms and were between the ages of 16 and 60. He was adequately educated having studied in Corfu and Pavia. His father, Nikolaos Genovellis, was a wealthy person and from 1779 to 1789 a notary. In the Venetian census of Preveza (circa 1790), he is referenced as a parishioner of the church of Saint Charalambos. Ioannis Genovellis had a particularly important role in the administration of Preveza when it was a preferential regime (Autonomy 1800–1807). At the beginning of this period the Scholarship by Konstantinos Athanasiadis or Manos was created which was led by the «patriotic, philharmonic and cultivated Ioannis Genovellis» as he was described by the bishop of Arta and Preveza, Serafeim.

It is not precisely known when he was appointed as Ali Pasha’s general manager in Preveza and supplier of the army and the fleet according to Ioannis F. Dimaratos. According to British traveller William M. Leak, Genovellis developed commercial activity intensively during the reign of Ali Pasha. When he encountered another British traveller, Thomas S. Hughes, on the evening of the 27th of December 1813, he was acting as if he had acquired the rank of governor of Preveza.

According to Ioannis Makrygiannis and Hlias Vasilias, Ioannis Genovellis took part, along with other warlords from Preveza, in a naval expedition on September 19, 1828, whose end goal was to cut off Vonitsas communication with the rest of the world and block their supply routes from Preveza and finally capture it. The achievements of the captains from Hydra under the leadership of the commander in chief of the Greek army Richard Church was remembered by the old residents of Preveza as the “Kairos me ta Mistikia” (The Time of Secrets) and which is considered folklore music.

Ioannis Kolettis was initially a confidant of Ioannis Kapodistrias and became better known for his actions as a temporary commissioner of the Department of North Messenia in 1828 and of Laconia and South Messenia until the 14th of August, 1829. He then became a senator. During the presidency of Kapodistrias, he was assigned the role of the manager of the department of education of the Typiko (the predecessor of the Evelpidon Academy), the superintendent of Sparta and the eparch of Mani (March 20, 1830). Most likely after he was replaced by Iakovos Cornelius as the eparch of Mani -which was done only after Kapodistrias intervened- Genovellis joined Kolettis’ party who was politically opposed to Ioannis Kapodistrias.