County palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos
The county palatine of Cephalonia ( full name: county palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos) was a state that was under the influence of the Kingdom of Naples and later the Venetian Republic. It existed from 1185 to 1479 and after a brief Ottoman occupation again from 1500 as a Venetian colony.
History
The state was created in 1185 when the Norman pirates and Sicilian Admiral Margaritos of Brindisi enfeoffed William II of Sicily to the Ionian Islands, which he had previously robbed the Byzantine Empire.
Initially it comprised the Ionian Islands Kefalonia ( Cefalonia ), Zakynthos (Zante ) and Leucas ( Leucadia ), Zakynthos was later split off as an appanage. The island of Leucas was raised towards the end of the 14th century to an independent duchy, the ruler of Kefalonia therefore also carried the title of Duke of Leucadia.
In the 13th century the bishopric of Cefalonia was established in the county.
1479 Leonardo III was. Tocco sold along with his brothers Antonio and Giovanni Tocco by the Ottomans and chose the kingdom of Naples as exile. Antonio Tocco could win back in 1480 with the help of Catalan mercenaries, the Ionian islands, but was killed shortly thereafter in the fight against the Ottomans and Venetians. The county palatine was finally made in 1500 to Venice and remained there until the end of the Venetian Republic 1797.