Duchy of Neopatria
| Duchy of Neopatria | |||||
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| Capital | Neopatras | ||||
| Languages | Catalan (official), Greek popularly | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholic officially, Greek Orthodox popularly | ||||
| Government | Duchy | ||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||
| - | Principality established | 1319 | |||
| - | Conquered by the Nerio I Acciaioli | 1390 | |||
The Duchy of Neopatria or Neopatras (Catalan: Ducat de Neopàtria, Greek: Δουκάτο Νέων Πατρών) was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade. It was situated in Central Greece, centered on the city of Νέαι Πάτραι Neai Patrai (modern Ypati) in the Spercheios valley, west of Lamia.
In 1318–1319 the Almogavars of the Catalan Company, after having conquered most of the Duchy of Athens, expanded into the territories of the Despotate of Epirus in southern Thessaly, under Alfonso Frederick, the infante of the Kingdom of Sicily. The new territories were created a duchy and united with the Duchy of Athens as new possessions of the Crown of Aragon. The Duchy was divided into the captaincies of Siderokastron, Neopatria, and Salona (modern Amfissa).
Part of the Duchy's possessions in Thessaly was conquered by the Serbs of Stefan Dusan in 1337. In 1377, the title of Duke of Neopatria was assumed by Peter IV of Aragon. It was preserved among the subsidiary titles of his successors, and is still included in the full title of the Spanish monarchs.
The attacks of the Byzantine Empire progressively diminished the territory of the duchy until what was left of it fell completely into the hands of the Florentine adventurer Nerio I Acciaioli in 1390, who had previously captured Athens in 1387–88.
Ecclesiastically, Neopatria largely corresponded to the Archdiocese of Neopatras (L'Arquebisbat de la pàtria) which had one suffragan: Zeitounion. Among the Catalan archbishops was Ferrer d'Abella, who tried to have himself transferred to a west European see.
Sources
- Setton, Kenneth M. Catalan Domination of Athens 1311–1380. Revised edition. London: Variorum, 1975.
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