Boniface of Verona
Encyclopedia
Boniface of Verona was an Lombard
Crusader
in Latin Greece during the early fourteenth century. From 1296 he was, in right of his wife, Agnes of Cicone, the Lord of Karystos
, a triarch of Negroponte
, and a great lord in the Duchy of Athens
, owning thirteen castles there as a gift from Duke Guy II
.
Because he had a friendly rapport with the Catalan Company
, he was spared in the great Battle of Halmyros
, where most of the chivalry of Athens perished alongside their duke, Walter V of Brienne
(1311). He was taken captive after the battle, but was asked by the Catalans to be their leader and governor of the Duchy of Athens. Fearing reprisals from the Republic of Venice
in Negroponte, he declined the honour and it was instead given to Roger Deslaur
.
In 1317, Boniface finally came to a full alliance with the Catalans; he married his daughter Maria (Marulla) to Alfonso Fadrique
. Boniface dispossessed his own son Thomas of his inheritance and bestowed it upon his son-in-law. He died later that year. Because of a person friendship the chronicler Ramon Muntaner
, Boniface received hearty praise as "the wisest and most courteous noble ever born."
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
Crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
in Latin Greece during the early fourteenth century. From 1296 he was, in right of his wife, Agnes of Cicone, the Lord of Karystos
Karystos
Karystos is a small coastal town on the Greek island of Euboea. It has about 7,000 inhabitants. It lies 129 km south of Chalkis. From Athens it is accessible by ferry via Marmari from the Rafina port...
, a triarch of Negroponte
Lordship of Negroponte
The Lordship of Negroponte was a crusader state established on the island of Euboea after the partition of the Byzantine Empire following the Fourth Crusade. Partitioned into three baronies run by a few interrelated Lombard families, the island soon fell under the influence of the Republic of...
, and a great lord in the Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
, owning thirteen castles there as a gift from Duke Guy II
Guy II de la Roche
Guy II de la Roche was the Duke of Athens from 1287, the last duke of his family. He succeeded as a minor on the death of his father, William I, at a time when the duchy of Athens had exceeded the Principality of Achaea in wealth, power, and importance.Guy was originally under the tutorship and...
.
Because he had a friendly rapport with the Catalan Company
Catalan Company
The Catalan Company of the East , officially the Magnas Societas Catalanorum, sometimes called the Grand Company and widely known as the Catalan Company, was a free company of mercenaries founded by Roger de Flor in the early 14th-century...
, he was spared in the great Battle of Halmyros
Battle of Halmyros
The Battle of Halmyros, of Orchomenos, or of the Cephissus was fought on 15 March 1311 between the Frankish Greek forces of Walter V of Brienne and the mercenaries of the Catalan Company, resulting in a devastating victory for the Catalans....
, where most of the chivalry of Athens perished alongside their duke, Walter V of Brienne
Walter V of Brienne
Gautier or Walter V of Brienne was born in Brienne-le-Château, Aube, Champagne, France. He was the son of Hugh de Candie des Brienne, known as Hugh of Brienne, Count of Brienne and Lecce, and Isabella de la Roche, daughter of Guy I of la Roche, Duke of Athens...
(1311). He was taken captive after the battle, but was asked by the Catalans to be their leader and governor of the Duchy of Athens. Fearing reprisals from the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
in Negroponte, he declined the honour and it was instead given to Roger Deslaur
Roger Deslaur
Roger Deslaur or Desllor, an almogàver from Roussillon in the service of Walter V of Brienne, Duke of Athens, was one of the few knights to survive the bloody Battle of Halmyros on 15 March 1311...
.
In 1317, Boniface finally came to a full alliance with the Catalans; he married his daughter Maria (Marulla) to Alfonso Fadrique
Alfonso Fadrique
Don Alfonso Fadrique was the eldest and illegitimate son of Frederick II of Sicily. He served as vicar general of the Duchy of Athens from 1317 to 1330....
. Boniface dispossessed his own son Thomas of his inheritance and bestowed it upon his son-in-law. He died later that year. Because of a person friendship the chronicler Ramon Muntaner
Ramon Muntaner
Ramon Muntaner was a Catalan soldier and writer who wrote the Crònica, a chronicle of his life, including his adventures as a commander in the Catalan Company...
, Boniface received hearty praise as "the wisest and most courteous noble ever born."
Sources
- Setton, Kenneth M. (general editor) A History of the Crusades: Volume III — The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries. Harry W. Hazard, editor. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1975.
- Setton, Kenneth M. Catalan Domination of Athens 1311–1380. Revised edition. London: Variorum, 1975.