Jacopo Gattilusio

Jacopo Gattilusio (or Giacomo; died 1428) was the third Lord of Lesbos. He was the eldest son of Francesco II of Lesbos, whom he succeeded as lord of the island on 26 October 1404.

Siver grosseto of Jacopo, with the Lamb of God and the tetragrammatic cross of the Byzantine Emperors
Relief at the Castle of Mytilene, showing the eagle of the Doria family (far left), the family cypher of the Palaiologoi (center left), and the Gattilusi coat of arms (center right)

William Miller summarized Jacopo's motivation as a semi-autonomous ruler was to favor Genoese interests when they conflicted with Venetian ones, but to cooperate with both when they showed signs of uniting against his neighbors, the Ottomans. For example, he aided Centurione II Zaccaria, Prince of Achaea against the Tocchi of Cephalonia and Zante.[1]

He had no sons, so on his death he was succeeded by his younger brother Dorino I Gattilusio.[2]

Marriage

Jacopo was married to Bona Grimaldi. Only one child is known:

Niccolò mentioned Jacopo as his father-in-law in his correspondence from the year 1426. However the name of his wife remains unknown. Niccolò had eleven children but no record exists of their mother or mothers.

An account by Caterino Zeno dated to 1474 names Niccolò as married to Valenza Megali Komnene, a supposed sister of daughter of John IV of Trebizond. Whether this means Niccolò took a second wife or whether Zeno was in error has been debated by genealogists.[3]

References

  1. Miller, "The Gattilusj of Lesbos (1355–1462)", Byzantinische Zeitschrift 22 (1913), p. 418
  2. Miller, "The Gattilusj", p. 419
  3. Discussed in Michel Kuršanskis, "La descendance d'Alexis IV, empereur de Trébizonde. Contribution à la prosopographie des Grands Comnènes", Revue des études byzantines, 37 (1979), pp. 239-247. Kuršanskis has argued that Valenza was actually a native of an Italian city, or did not exist at all.
  • Marek, Miroslav. "Gattilusio family". Genealogy.EU.
  • Cawley, Charles, His listing along with daughter., Medieval Lands database, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
Jacopo Gattilusio
Born: ? Died: 1428
Preceded by
Francesco II Gattilusio
Lord of Lesbos
1404–1428
Succeeded by
Dorino I Gattilusio
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