The Margraviate or Marquisate of Bodonitsa (also Vodonitsa or Boudonitza; ) was a state of the Frankish Greece, located in present-day Mendenitsa, Phthiotis (180 km northwest of Athens), following the conquests of the Fourth Crusade. It was originally granted as a margravial holding of Guy Pallavicini by Boniface, first king of Thessalonica, in 1204. Its original purpose was to guard the pass of Thermopylae.
The marquisate survived the fall of Thessalonica after the death of Boniface, but it was made subservient to the Principality of Achaea in 1248. The marquisate further survived the coming of the Catalan Company in 1311, but it fell to two Venetian families in quick succession: Cornaro (till 1335) and the Zorzi. Among the eighteen Catalan vassals of the area in 1380-1 the Margrave of Bodonitsa ranks third below Count Demitre and the Count of Salona. The Zorzi ruled the marquisate until the Ottoman Turks conquered it in 1414. Nicholas II continued to use the margravial title after that date, but the territory was never recovered.
Margraves
Pallavicini Thomas inherited the Pallavicini margraviate after a dispute with Isabella's widower. He was a grandson of Rubino, brother of Guy. 1204 – 1237 Guy 1237 – 1278 Ubertino 1278 – 1286 Isabella 1278 – 1286 (?) Antoine le Flamenc, husband (conjectured) 1286 – ca. 1300 Thomas ca. 1300 – 1311 Albert 1311 – 1323 Maria dalle Carceri, wife 1312 – 1323 Andrea Cornaro, husband of above 1311 – 1358 Guglielma 1327 – 1334 Bartolommeo Zaccaria, husband
Zorzi The first Zorzi was a husband of Guglielma. 1335 – 1345 Nicholas I 1345 – 1388 Francis 1388 – 1410 Jacob 1410 – 1414 Nicholas II 1414 – 1436 Nicholas III (in pretense)
References
Sources
Setton, Kenneth M. Catalan Domination of Athens 1311–1380. Revised edition. Variorum: London, 1975.