Francesco II of Lesbos

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Francesco II Gattilusio, Lord of Lesbos (c. 1365 - 26 October 1403/ 1404) was the second ruler of an independent Lesbos from 1384 to his death.

He was the third son of Francesco I of Lesbos and Maria Palaiologina. His maternal grandparents were Andronikos III Palaiologos and his second wife Anna of Savoy.

On 6 August 1384, an earthquake affected Lesbos. Francesco I and his two eldest sons, Andronico and Domenico, were all killed. However the third son Jacopo survived. He succeeded in the rule of Lesbos under the name Francesco II. Francesco II was yet underage and was placed under the regency of his paternal uncle Niccolo of Ainos.

Francesco II married a Genoese noblewoman, Valentina Doria, daughter of Dorino Doria q. Dorino of Loano and Violante Doria q. Brancaleone II of Sardinia, Lady of Lerma. From a first marriage, Dorino Doria had a son called Pietro Doria, who was none other than the Genoese Admiral who won the battle of Chioggia against the Venetians in 1379 and died a hero in the following year. Francesco and Valentina had six children:

He reportedly died in an unusual manner. He was bitten by a scorpion. The number of people rushing to his aid resulted in the wooden floor of his room collapsing under their combined weight. The poison did not kill him but the fall did.

Francesco II of Lesbos
Born: c. 1365 Died: 1404
Royal titles
Preceded by
Francesco I
Lord of Lesbos
1384–1404
Succeeded by
Jacopo

[edit] References and notes

  • W. Miller, The Gattilusj of Lesbos (1355-1462), Byzantinische Zeitschrift 22, 1913, p. 406-447.
  • T. Ganchou, Valentina Doria, épouse de Francesco II Gattilusio, seigneur de l'île de Mytilène (1384-1403), et sa parenté. Le Lesbian puzzle résolu, in Nuova Rivista Storica LXXXVIII, 2004, p. 619-686.

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