Karl Topia

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Karl Topia
Karl Topia, by Kostandin Shpataraku, Ardenica Monastery.png
Prince of Albania
Reign 1358–1388
Predecessor Tanusio Topia
Successor George Thopia
Born 1331
Durrës, Kingdom of Albania, Kingdom of Naples (modern day Albania)
Died 1388 (aged 57)
Elbasan, Princedom of Albania
Burial St. Jovan Vladimir's Church, Albania
Spouse Voislava Balšić
Issue George Thopia, Helena Thopia, Voislava Thopia, Maria Topia, Niketa Thopia
Dynasty Topia Coat of arms of the Thopia, reconstruction.png
Father Andrea Topia
Mother Illegitimate Anjou
Religion Roman Catholic

Karl Topia was an Albanian feudal prince and warlord, who between them ruled Albania from the middle of the 14th century until the Ottoman conquest.[1] To the Roman Curia, Karl maintained usually good relations. In 1376 a vacant place became an ore diocese in Durrës, again with a Latin Bishop to be occupied.

Family

The first mention of the Topia is from 1329,[2] when Tanusio Topia was mentioned as one of the counts of Albania.[3] In 1338, Tanusio was mentioned as Count of Matia (conte di Matia).[4] According to Karl Hopf, Tanusio's son or brother Andrea, as told by Gjon Muzaka (fl. 1510), had fallen in love with the daughter of Robert of Naples when her ship, en route to the Principality of the Morea to be wed with the bailli, had stopped at Durazzo where they met. Andrea abducted and married her, and they had two sons, Karl and George. King Robert, enraged, under the pretext of reconciliation had the couple invited to Naples where he had them executed.[5]

Control of Durrës and the Princedom of Albania

The long protracted turmoil of dynastic wars had made germinate in their real victims, the Albanians, the seeds of national sentiment which contained great promise, so that, when after Emperor Stefan Dušan's death, a descendant of Stefan Uroš I, returned to the province, the inhabitants rose en masse and, under the leadership of Karl Topia, cut down the pretender and his entire force in the battle of Acheloos.[6]

In 1358, Karl rose against the rule of the Anjou and managed to drive them out of Durrës from Epirus and Albania. He ruled most of modern central Albania from 1358 to 1388 and claimed the title of princeps Albaniae.

Since 1362, Karl sought himself to set Durrës, which was in the possession of the Duchess Joanna of Anjou. The first, certainly still unsuccessful siege lasted from April 1362 until May 1363. Then, Topia had to withdraw his troops, who were weakened by an epidemic disease. Only in 1367 could Karl conquer Durrës, who had attained in the meantime the tacit agreement of the Venetians for his project and turn this important port into his residence.

Karl gained control of Durrës in 1368, which was where the Angevins held out due to their Kingdom becoming smaller in size.

Topia ruled over the regions of Durrës, Kruja, Peqin, Elbasan, Mokra and Gora, that is, along both sides of the Via Egnatia as far east as Lake Ohrid.[7]

Rivalry with the Balšići

Balša II made a fourth attempt to conquer Durrës, an important commercial and strategic center, which was ruled by his rival, Karl Topia. In 1385, Balša II started an offensive, capturing Durrës from Karl Topia the following year, and proclaimed himself Duke of Drač (Durrës).[7] Topia called on the Turks for assistance. Murad I gladly sent an army of 40,000 men from Macedonia. In the plain of Savra between Elbasan and Lushnja, Balša II fought the Turks and was defeated and killed.[7] Thopia again gained control over Durazzo, probably under Ottoman suzerainty.[8]

Venetian alliance

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. In the last decade of his rule, Karl closely followed the Republic of Venice, particularly with regard to foreign policy. On August 17, 1386, Karl Topia allied himself with Venice and committed himself to participate in all wars of the Republic or pay auxiliary funds and supply grain. In addition, he promised the Venetian buyers protection in his lands. In return, Venice supplied a galley, permitted recruitment of Topia's mercenaries in Venetian areas and instructed the captain of their Adriatic fleet to protect Karl's coasts from the Ottomans. The Ottomans undertook several heavy attacks on Durrës, which also still persisted as Karl died in January 1388. His son, Gjergj, became Karl's successor.

St. Gjon Vladimir's Church

In 1381, Karl built the St. Gjon Vladimir's Church in the proximity of Elbasan, where Gjon Vladimir's remains were held until 1995.[9] He is depicted in the icon of St. Vladimir, painted by Onufri, wearing a crown and standing by the Church of the Saint.

Inscriptions:

  • A calligraphic inscription in Greek says: "ΚΑΡΛΑ ΘΕΩΠΙΑC ΚΑΙ ΚΤΗΤΩΡ ΤΗC ΑΓΙΑC ΜΟΝΗC ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ" (Karla Theopias, builder of the Holy Monastery of the Saint).
  • Another Greek inscription in the building refers to him as: "... ο πανυψηλώτατος πρώτος Κάρλας Θεωπίας ανεψιός δε και αίματος ρύγας της Φραγγίας... οικοδόμησεν τον πάνσεπτον ναόν τούτον του αγίου Ιωάννου του Βλαδιμήρου ..." (the highest and prime Karlas Theopias, nephew and by blood king of Francia ... built this holy church of St. John Vladimir ... ) dated 1382. This inscription is currently located in the Albanian Historical Museum in Tirana.[10]
  • "These signs of a great lord ... Carla Thopea" (ετουτα τα σιμαδηα αυθεντου μεγα ... Καρλα θοπηα).[11]

Issue

Karl married Serbian Voislava Balšić, in c. 1370. The pair had four children:

Karl had two more children but the parentage is unknown:

Regnal titles
Preceded by Lord of Krujë
1355–1388		 Succeeded by
Helena Thopia
Preceded by
Joanna of Durrës
as Duchess of Durrës
 Prince of Albania
1368–1383		 Succeeded by
Balša II
Preceded by Prince of Albania
1385–1388		 Succeeded by
Gjergj Topia

Ancestry

Family of Karl Topia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. Tanusio Topia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Andrea Topia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Karl Topia
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Charles II of Naples
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Robert, King of Naples
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Mary of Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Illegitimate daughter of Robert
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Unknown mistress
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Fine 1994, p. 390.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Icons from the Orthodox Communities of Albania, catalog of the exhibition of the collection of icons of the National Museum of Medieval Art of Korce, held in Thessaloniki in 2006. Published by the European Centre of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments - Museum of Byzantine Culture (Greece), p.138.
  11. ↑ von Hahn Johann Georg, Albanesische studien, vol. 1, pp. 119,120
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Sources

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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