Chiara Zorzi
Encyclopedia
Chiara Zorzi or Giorgio, also Clara or Claire (died 1454 at Megara
), was the second wife and widow of Nerio II Acciaioli
, Duke of Athens, and regent
for their young son Francesco I
after Nerio's death in 1451.
She was the daughter of Nicholas III Zorzi
, the titular margrave of Bodonitsa
, and renowned for her beauty. After Nerio's death, she fell in love with the Venetian
Bartolomeo Contarini
, who murdered his wife in order to stay with her and marry her in Athens
(1453). However, Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire
intervened at the insistence of the people on the behalf of the young duke Francis and summoned Bartolomeo and Chiara to his court at Adrianople.
Another Acciaioli, Francis II, was sent to Athens as a Turkish client duke and Chiara thus deprived of her power in the city. Evidently, the citizenry had mistrusted the two lovers influence over the young duke, for whose safety they may have feared. The new duke had Chiara murdered and Bartolomeo appealed to the sultan for justice. Athens was taken into Turkish hands and Francis II deposed.
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
), was the second wife and widow of Nerio II Acciaioli
Nerio II Acciaioli
Nerio II Acciaioli was the Duke of Athens on two separate occasions from 1435 to 1439 and again from 1441 to 1451. He was a member of the Acciaioli family of Florence, the son of Francesco Acciaioli, Lord of Sykaminon. His rule was contemporaneous with a renewed Italian philhellenism and...
, Duke of Athens, and regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for their young son Francesco I
Francesco I Acciaioli
Francis or Francesco I Acciaioli was the son of Nerio II Acciaioli by his second wife Chiara Zorzi. He succeeded on his father's death in 1451 to the Duchy of Athens under his mother's regency.His mother married the Venetian Bartolomeo Contarini...
after Nerio's death in 1451.
She was the daughter of Nicholas III Zorzi
Nicholas III Zorzi
Nicholas III Zorzi or Giorgi was the Margrave of Bodonitsa, a member of the Zorzi family of the Republic of Venice, from 1416 to 1436, though the title was purely nominal by then. Before becoming margrave in an exchange with his nephew Nicholas II, he was the baron of Carystus...
, the titular margrave of Bodonitsa
Margrave of Bodonitsa
The margraviate or marquisate of Bodonitsa , today Mendenitsa, Phthiotis , was a Frankish state in Greece 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...
, and renowned for her beauty. After Nerio's death, she fell in love with the Venetian
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...
Bartolomeo Contarini
Bartolomeo Contarini
Bartolomeo Contarini was a Venetian businessman who married the widowed duchess of Athens Chiara Zorzi in 1453 and governed the duchy in the name of her infant son, Francesco I....
, who murdered his wife in order to stay with her and marry her in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
(1453). However, Mehmet II of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
intervened at the insistence of the people on the behalf of the young duke Francis and summoned Bartolomeo and Chiara to his court at Adrianople.
Another Acciaioli, Francis II, was sent to Athens as a Turkish client duke and Chiara thus deprived of her power in the city. Evidently, the citizenry had mistrusted the two lovers influence over the young duke, for whose safety they may have feared. The new duke had Chiara murdered and Bartolomeo appealed to the sultan for justice. Athens was taken into Turkish hands and Francis II deposed.