Antonio I Acciaioli

Antonio I. Acciaiuoli (* 1370, † 1435 ) was from the important Florentine family of Acciaiuoli. He was the illegitimate son of Nerio I. Acciaiuoli and second Duke of Athens.

Life and work

His father Nerio conquered on May 2, 1388 Athens and received by King Ladislaus of Naples, the hereditary title of Duke of Athens. After his death, Antonio was arriving with his half-sister Francesca Acciaiuoli briefly acting Regent until one of the nephews Nerios in Athens should be to apply the rule. But in 1396 the Turks besieged the city and the commander of the Acropolis called Venice as a protecting power brought about what the Maritime Republic took power in Athens.

The unstable situation in Greece took Antonio 1402 and occupied with a mercenary army the lower city of Athens. The Venetian governor of Euboea was approaching with a 6,000 -strong army of relief, but the Antonio beat and could capture. After seventeen more months siege resulted in him the Acropolis. In addition to the pope and king Ladislaus of Naples, he was able to win, especially Suleiman as an ally against Venice. The conflict was ended in 1405 by Venice accepted him as legally valid vassal and citizens of the Maritime Republic. After 1416 an Ottoman army ravaged Attica, Antonio subdued the Turkish suzerainty.

Antonio was the longest reigning Duke of Athens. Under the hard hand of the Sultan 's reign was largely peaceful, which allowed a certain revival of trade, particularly with Florence, and culture in Athens. Only in 1423 he had to participate in a campaign against the Ottomans Morea. The historian Antonio Chalkokondyles praised as a wise and generous ruler.

Antonio died in the summer 1435 after a stroke. He was successively married with two Greek women. The second wife was Mary Melissena, a descendant of the conqueror of Constantinople Opel from 1261. You tried after the death of her husband with the help of Chalkokondyles family to make the succession after their meaning to the exclusion of the remaining Acciaiuoli family. After this failed Chalkokondyles was banished from Athens.