Despot of Epirus Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos
Reign
30 September 1448 – September 1479 (claimed in exile until c. 1503)
Predecessor
Carlo II Tocco
Successor
Carlo III Tocco (titular)
Born
After 1436[1][a]
Died
Before August 1503[1][a] Rome
Spouse
Milica Branković Francesca Marzano
Issue more...
Carlo III Tocco
Dynasty
Tocco
Father
Carlo II Tocco
Mother
Raimondina Ventimiglia
Leonardo III Tocco (after 1436 – before August 1503)[a] was the last ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, ruling from the death of his father Carlo II Tocco in 1448 to the despotate's fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1479. Leonardo was one of the last independent Latin rulers in Greece and the last to hold territories on the Greek mainland. After the fall of his realm, Leonardo fled to Italy and became a landowner and diplomat. He continued to claim his titles in exile until his death.
Leonardo inherited numerous possessions on the western Greek mainland from his father. Most of these mainland territories, including the capital of Arta, were conquered by the Ottomans in 1449, the first year of Leonardo's reign. Leonardo had inherited the throne while still underage and his government was initially headed by a four-person regency council for several years. Upon becoming old enough to rule for himself, Leonardo had all of his former regents murdered. Leonardo engaged in several anti-Ottoman activities, such as working on the side of the Republic of Venice in the First Ottoman–Venetian War (1463–1479). Despite this, his realm was left in peace throughout most of his reign and became one of the most prosperous regions in Greece.
Although energetic and wise, Leonardo was not very successful. He engaged in several efforts to gain the support of the many Greeks who lived under his rule, such as restoring Greek Orthodox religious sees, allowing Greeks a certain degree of autonomous self-governance, and issuing Greek-language charters. These efforts do not appear to have had an effect on most of the populace. In 1477, Leonardo married a Neapolitan noblewoman in an attempt to gain support from the Kingdom of Naples. This move backfired catastrophically; the Republic of Venice, which acted as Leonardo's main protection against the Ottomans, opposed Neapolitan influence in Greece and ceased to support Leonardo. The end of Venetian protection paved the way for the 1479 Ottoman invasion that ended Leonardo's rule.
Viewing opposition to the Ottomans as futile, Leonardo escaped into exile. Although he spent the rest of his life pondering ways to regain his lands, Leonardo never returned to Greece. In Italy, he attempted to increase his status by acquiring various fiefs. This was an unsuccessful venture that resulted in Leonardo ending up in considerable debt and losing all the lands he had acquired. Leonardo died in Rome at some point in the pontificate of Pope Alexander VI (r. 1492–1503), crushed as his house collapsed on top of him. Leonardo's titular claims were inherited by his eldest son, Carlo III Tocco.
^ abcShamà 2013, p. 31.
^Miller 1921, p. 513.
^Miller 1908, p. 488.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
and 25 Related for: Leonardo III Tocco information
LeonardoIIITocco (after 1436 – before August 1503) was the last ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, ruling from the death of his father Carlo II Tocco...
LeonardoIIITocco. LeonardoIII was one of the last independent Latin rulers in Greece, and the last to hold lands on the Greek mainland. Leonardo III...
and Zakynthos Leonardo II Tocco (1374/1377–1429), Lord of Zakynthos LeonardoIIITocco (c. 1436–1503), Despot of Epirus Leonardo IV Tocco (c. 1510–1564)...
Leonardo IV Tocco (full name Giovanni LeonardoTocco, c. 1510–1564) was the titular Despot of Epirus and Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from...
This title was also used by Carlo II's successor, LeonardoIIITocco. Later members of the Tocco family, pretenders to the title, used both "Despot of...
Cephalonia and Zakynthos under the Kingdom of Naples until its last Count LeonardoIIITocco fled from the Ottomans in 1479. The title and the right to rule the...
Robert of Taranto, 1336–1357 Leonardo I Tocco, 1357–1376 Charles I Tocco, 1376–1429 Charles II Tocco, 1429–1448 LeonardoIIITocco, 1448–1479 ODB, "Ionian...
Tocco (d. 1335) Leonardo I Tocco (d. 1375 or 1377) Leonardo II Tocco (d. 1418/19) LeonardoIIITocco (d. 1499) Theodora Tocco (d. 1429) Albert Tocco (1929–2005)...
protect the Peloponnese, LeonardoIIITocco made an agreement with Venice to accept 10,000 refugees from this region. LeonardoIIITocco and his realm was increasingly...
Leonardo I Tocco (died 1375/1377) was the count palatine of the islands of Cephalonia and Zakynthos from 1357 until his death, and later lord of Ithaca...
married LeonardoIIITocco, the ruler of the Despotate of Epirus, and had descendants. Beginning with LeonardoIII's and Milica's son, Carlo IIITocco (1464–1518)...
the Tocci became vassals of the Ottoman sultans. The last of them, LeonardoIIITocco (r. 1448–1479) was helped to maintain his rule through his marriage...
Rossano. Her daughter Francesca married LeonardoIIITocco. also Alphonso He was King of Valencia (as Alfonso III), Majorca, Sardinia (as Alfonso II) and...
Theodoro and final Trapezuntine leader to be conquered by the Ottomans. LeonardoIIITocco, final Despot of Epirus and final Byzantine leader to be conquered...
the Curia, Skanderbeg appointed the duke of Leukas (Santa Maura), LeonardoIIITocco, formerly the prince of Arta and "despot of the Rhomaeans", a figure...
Despot of Epirus Carlo II Tocco (?–1448), Despot of Epirus Carlo IIITocco (1464–1518), Titular Despot of Epirus Carlo de Tocco (1592–1674), Prince of Montemiletto...
Carlo II Tocco (died 1448) was the ruler of Epirus from 1429 until his death. Carlo II was the son of Leonardo II Tocco, the younger brother and co-ruler...
Leonardo II Tocco (1375/76 – 1418/19) was a scion of the Tocco family and lord of Zakynthos, who played an important role as a military leader for his...
princess Milica Branković (died 1464), Serbian princess, wife of LeonardoIIITocco Milica Čubrilo (born 1969), Serbian politician and diplomat Milica...
the Kingdom of Sicily and Venetian suzerainty, until its last Count LeonardoIIITocco was defeated and the island conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1479...
1337. In the 1410s, the Count palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos Carlo I Tocco managed to reunite the core of the Epirote state, but his successors gradually...
(2016), singer Milica Branković (1464), first wife of LeonardoIIITocco, Mother of Carlo IIITocco Ruža Anastasijević (1803), mother of Miša Anastasijević...
Francesco di Paola Mariano Luigi di Tocco Cantelmo Stuart (18 November 1790 – 16 April 1877), or Francesco di Tocco for short, was an 18th/19th-century...
Don Carlo II di Tocco Cantelmo Stuart (7 March 1756 – 19 July 1823), or Carlo di Tocco for short, was an 18th/19th-century Italian noble, serving as the...