Peter Spani (League of Lezhë)

Peter Spani
Noble family Spani
Father Marin Spani

Peter Spani (Albanian: Pjetër Spani; fl. 1430 – 1457) was a Catholic Albanian nobleman and Venetian pronoier in the first half of 15th century. His domains included several villages on the territory between Shkodër and Drivastum.[1] He ruled over Shala, Shosh, Nikaj-Mërtur (Lekbibaj) and Pult; the whole region under the Ottomans took his name, Petrişpan-ili (literally, "dominions of Pjetër Shpani"). Between 1444 and 1450 he was a member of the League of Lezhë.

Family

Peter Spani was member of Spani family which was of Greek origin.[2][3][4] The surname Span or Spani probably derives from the Greek word spanos (beardless).[5] Peter's father Marin is mentioned in 1409 as already dead.[6] Since he did not have any sons, Petar emphasized that he will be inherited by his nephew Marin, a son of his brother Brajko.[7] Petar's brother Stefan Span was lord of village Podgora.[8]

League of Lezhë

Peter Spani attended a meeting of several noblemen from Albania held in Lezhë in March 1444 when they allied themselves into a League of Lezhë.[9] The League of Lezhë was founded by:[10][11][12]

  1. Lekë Zaharia (lord of Sati and Dagnum) and his vassals Pal Dukagjin and Nicholas Dukagjini
  2. Peter Spani (lord of the mountains behind Drivasto)
  3. Lekë Dushmani (lord of Pult)
  4. George Stresi Balsha with John and Gojko Balšić
  5. Andrea Thopia with his nephew Tanush Thopia
  6. Gjergj Arianiti
  7. Theodor Corona Musachi
  8. Stefan Crnojević with his sons

In 1451 after Alfonso signed the Treaty of Gaeta with Skanderbeg, he signed similar treaties with Peter Spani and other chieftains from Albania: Gjergj Arianiti, Ghin Musachi, George Stresi Balsha, Pal III Dukagjini, Thopia Musachi, Peter of Himara, Simon Zanebisha and Carlo Toco.[13] Gjon Muzaka's chronicle mentions that he survived the war and lived to an advanced age.[14] In the early subdivisions of Albania during the Ottoman era the region formerly ruled by Pjetër Spani was known in Ottoman Turkish as Petrishpani or Ishpani.[15][16] From 1430 to 1456 Spani is also often mentioned in the archives of the Republic of Ragusa.[17]

References

  1. ↑ Malović-Đukić, Marica, "Pilot u srednjem veku [Pilot in Middle Ages]", Stanovništvo slovenskog porijekla u Albaniji : zbornik radova sa međunarodnog naučnog skupa održanog u Cetinju 21, 22. i 23. juna 1990 (in Serbian), Titograd: Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore ; Stručna knj., OCLC 29549273, Спани су властеоска породица који су били пронијари и главари неколико села у околини Скадра и Дриваста у првој половини XV века.
  2. ↑ Božić, Ivan (1980) [1976], "Спани - Шпање", Glas (in Serbian), Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, p. 37, OCLC 183333221, СПАНИ — ШПАЊЕ Приказано на V скупу Одељења историјских наука 15. септембра 1976) Спани су били разграната породица грчког порекла, коа ]е у XV веку имала извесну улогу у друштвеном и политичном животу северне Албаније
  3. ↑ Šufflay, Milan (1925), Srbi i Arbanasi : (njihova simbioza u srednjem vijeku) (in Serbian), Belgrade, OCLC 440847167, retrieved 20 January 2012, Obitelj ova Span, de Span, Hi* spanus, Spanović podrijetlom je grčka "
  4. ↑ Šufflay, Milan (1924), Städte und Burgen Albaniens, hauptsächlich während des Mittelalters (in German), Vienna: Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky A.-G., p. 45, OCLC 4851524, Die mächtigen Span von Drivasto waren ursprünglich griechische Großhändler in Skodra
  5. ↑ Stavrides, Théoharis (2001). The Sultan of vezirs: the life and times of the Ottoman Grand Vezir Mahmud Pasha Angelovic̕ (1453–1474). BRILL. p. 230. ISBN 978-90-04-12106-5. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  6. ↑ Glas, Volumes 319-323 (in Serbian). Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1980. p. 39. Retrieved 20 January 2012. Петров отац Марин се помиње 1409 год као покојник
  7. ↑ Glas, Volumes 319-323 (in Serbian). Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1980. p. 39. Retrieved 20 January 2012. Сам тај Петар ни 1415 није имао мушких потомака па је истицао као свог наследника нећака Марина, сина већ преминутог Брајка.
  8. ↑ Malović-Đukić, Marica, "Pilot u srednjem veku [Pilot in Middle Ages]", Stanovništvo slovenskog porijekla u Albaniji : zbornik radova sa međunarodnog naučnog skupa održanog u Cetinju 21, 22. i 23. juna 1990 (in Serbian), Titograd: Istorijski institut SR Crne Gore ; Stručna knj., OCLC 29549273, Стефан Спан je био главар села Подгоре ... Стефан и Петар Спан били су браћа. [Stefan Span was lord of village Podgora....Stefan and Petar span were brothers.
  9. ↑ Glas, Volume 338 (in Serbian). Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. 1983. p. 72. Retrieved 20 January 2012. склопио је у Љешу (савез за рат против Турака. Тој скупштини, на којој је он изабран за вођа, присуствовао је и Петар Спан,
  10. ↑ Noli 1947, p. 36
  11. ↑ Božić, Ivan (1979), Nemirno pomorje XV veka (in Serbian), Beograd: Srpska književna zadruga, p. 364, OCLC 5845972, pp. 364: "Никола Дукађин убио је Леку Закарију. Према млетачком хроничару Стефану Мању убио га је "у битки" као његов вазал. Мада Барлеције погрешно наводи да је убиство извршио Лека Дукађин"
  12. ↑ Schmitt 2001, p. 297
    Nikola und Paul Dukagjin, Leka Zaharia von Dagno, Peter Span, Herr der Berge hinter Drivasto, Georg Strez Balsha sowie Johann und Gojko Balsha, die sich zwischen Kruja und Alessio festgesetzt hatten, die Dushman von Klein-Polatum sowie Stefan (Stefanica) Crnojevic, der Herr der Oberzeta
  13. ↑ Noli 1947, p. 49
    Later on Alphonse concluded similar treaties with George Araniti, Ghin Musachi, George Stresi Balsha, Peter Spani, Paul Ducaghini,...
  14. ↑ Elsie, Robert (2003). Early Albania: a reader of historical texts, 11th–17th centuries. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 36. ISBN 9783447047838. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  15. ↑ Pulaha, Selami (1968). Burime Osmane. University of Tirana. p. 338. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  16. ↑ The Albanians and their territories. Academy of Sciences of Albania. "8 Nëntori" Pub. House. 1985. p. 354.
  17. ↑ Demiraj, Bardhyl (2010). Wir sind die Deinen: Studien zur albanischen Sprache, Literatur und Kulturgeschichte, dem Gedenken an Martin Camaj (1925–1992) gewidmet. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 544. ISBN 9783447062213. Retrieved 23 March 2012.

Sources