Treaty of Orvieto
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Orvieto was an agreement made in 1281 between Charles I of Sicily
, Giovanni Dandolo
, Doge of Venice
, and Philip of Courtenay
, titular Latin Emperor, for recovery of the Latin Empire
, with the blessing of the Papacy. Intended to restore Latin domination, both civil and ecclesiastical, to Greece
, it was forestalled by the War of the Sicilian Vespers
, which diverted the resources of Charles to the recovery of Sicily.
, he had enlarged his appanage
of Provence by agreeing to act as the Papal champion against the Hohenstaufen
in 1263. He was rewarded with the Kingdom of Sicily
as a papal fief, and almost immediately began to look eastward for further lands. With the defeat of Manfred of Sicily
in 1266, Charles sent an army to Albania
to seize the dowry
of Manfred's wife, Helena of Epirus
.
This brought Charles into conflict with Emperor Michael VIII
in the Adriatic theater. Baldwin II of Courtenay, then titular Latin Emperor, made a natural ally. Driven out of Constantinople
by Michael VIII in 1261, Baldwin was practically penniless and desperate for aid to regain his empire. Charles agreed, but at a significant price: the two signed the Treaty of Viterbo
in 1267, wherein Charles agreed to help reconquer the Latin Empire in exchange for the suzerainty of Achaea
and other important concessions.
However, the invasion of Italy by Conradin
and the Eighth Crusade
combined to delay any intervention by Charles. Under Pope Gregory X
, negotiations for the union of the Roman Catholic
and Greek Orthodox Church
es were initiated, and any move by Charles against Constantinople was forbidden. However, he was encouraged by the Pope to purchase the claim of Maria of Antioch
to the Kingdom of Jerusalem
in 1277, to which he sent a bailli
to rule in his name. This was part of a papal strategy to preserve the Kingdom of Jerusalem by integrating it into a trans-Mediterranean empire allied with the French royal house, which would provide the necessary resource for the Kingdom's defense. In 1278, by a provision of the Treaty of Viterbo, the Principality of Achaea
also came under his direct rule.
The accession of Pope Martin IV
, who was largely under Charles' influence, removed the last obstacle to Charles' ambitions. The new Pope declared the Union of the Churches a failure, clearing the way for Charles' plans of conquest. Like the Treaty of Viterbo, the new alliance against Constantinople would unite the arms of Charles, the dynast of the Latin Empire (now Philip of Courtenay
, Baldwin II having died in 1273) under Papal sanction. Furthermore, the Venetians, who had played a key role in the Latin Empire but had not subscribed to the Treaty of Viterbo, were also to be brought into the alliance.
Like the Treaty of Viterbo, the new treaty was signed in the Papal palace, which Pope Martin IV
had moved to Orvieto
after Viterbo
was placed under Interdict
for imprisoning two cardinal
s. Its stated purpose was the dethronement of the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII
in favor of Philip and the establishment of the Union of the Churches, bringing the Greek Orthodox Church
under the authority of the Pope. Its practical motivation, however, was to re-establish the Latin Empire, under Angevin domination, and to restore Venetian commercial privileges in Constantinople.
Under the terms of the treaty, Philip and Charles were to supply 8,000 troops and mounts, and sufficient ships to transport them to Constantinople. Philip, Dandolo, and Charles, or Charles' son, Charles, Prince of Salerno
, were to personally accompany the expedition. In practice, Charles would have supplied almost all of the troops, Philip having little or no resources of his own. The Venetians would supply forty galleys as escorts for the invasion fleet, which was to sail from Brindisi
no later than April 1283. Upon Philip's restoration to the throne, he was to confirm the concessions of the Treaty of Viterbo and the privileges granted to Venice at the founding of the Latin Empire, including recognition of the Doge as dominator of "one-fourth and one-eighth of the Latin Empire."
A second document was also drawn up to organize a vanguard
to precede the main expedition of 1283. Charles and Philip were to supply fifteen ships and ten transports with about 300 men and horses. The Venetians were to provide fifteen warships for seven months of the year. These forces would make war against Michael VIII and "other occupiers" of the Latin Empire (presumably the Genoese
), and would meet at Corfu
by 1 May 1282, paving the way for the next year's invasion.
The two treaties were signed by Charles and Philip on 3 July 1281. They were ratified by the Doge of Venice on 2 August 1281.
. Nikephoros
, the ruler of Epirus
, also concluded a treaty with Charles, Philip, and Dandolo in September 1281. However, shortly before the expedition was to sail, the Sicilian Vespers
broke out (30 March 1282). The resulting civil war split the Kingdom of Sicily in two, and Charles spent the rest of his life trying to quell it. His descendants would continue to maintain an ever more tenuous rule over parts of the Latin Empire, but no grand expedition against Constantinople was ever mounted.
Charles I of Sicily
Charles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
, Giovanni Dandolo
Giovanni Dandolo
Giovanni Dandolo was the 48th Doge of Venice, elected on 31 March 1280, died on 2 November 1289. During his reign the first Venetian gold ducat was introduced into circulation.-Family:...
, Doge of Venice
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
, and Philip of Courtenay
Philip of Courtenay
Philip I of Courtenay was titular Emperor of Constantinople 1273–1283. He was the son of Baldwin II of Constantinople and Marie of Brienne....
, titular Latin Emperor, for recovery of the Latin Empire
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
, with the blessing of the Papacy. Intended to restore Latin domination, both civil and ecclesiastical, to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, it was forestalled by the War of the Sicilian Vespers
War of the Sicilian Vespers
The War of the ' Vespers started with the insurrection of the Sicilian Vespers against Charles of Anjou in 1282 and finally ended with the peace of Caltabellotta in 1302...
, which diverted the resources of Charles to the recovery of Sicily.
Background
Charles had long aspired to assemble a trans-Mediterranean kingdom. A younger brother of the French king, Louis IXLouis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, he had enlarged his appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
of Provence by agreeing to act as the Papal champion against the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
in 1263. He was rewarded with the Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of Italy from its founding by Roger II in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of southern Italy...
as a papal fief, and almost immediately began to look eastward for further lands. With the defeat of Manfred of Sicily
Manfred of Sicily
Manfred was the King of Sicily from 1258 to 1266. He was a natural son of the emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen but his mother, Bianca Lancia , is reported by Matthew of Paris to have been married to the emperor while on her deathbed.-Background:Manfred was born in Venosa...
in 1266, Charles sent an army to Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
to seize the dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
of Manfred's wife, Helena of Epirus
Helena Angelina Doukaina
Helena Angelina Doukaina was the second wife but only Queen consort of Manfred of Sicily.-Biography:She was a daughter of Michael II Komnenos Doukas, Ruler of Epirus and his wife Theodora Petraliphaina...
.
This brought Charles into conflict with Emperor Michael VIII
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
in the Adriatic theater. Baldwin II of Courtenay, then titular Latin Emperor, made a natural ally. Driven out of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
by Michael VIII in 1261, Baldwin was practically penniless and desperate for aid to regain his empire. Charles agreed, but at a significant price: the two signed the Treaty of Viterbo
Treaty of Viterbo
The Treaty of Viterbo was a pair of agreements made by Charles I of Sicily with Baldwin II of Constantinople and William II Villehardouin, Prince of Achaea, on 27 May 1267, which transferred much of the rights to the Latin Empire from Baldwin to Charles.-Background:The recapture of Constantinople...
in 1267, wherein Charles agreed to help reconquer the Latin Empire in exchange for the suzerainty of Achaea
Principality of Achaea
The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
and other important concessions.
However, the invasion of Italy by Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
and the Eighth Crusade
Eighth Crusade
The Eighth Crusade was a crusade launched by Louis IX, King of France, in 1270. The Eighth Crusade is sometimes counted as the Seventh, if the Fifth and Sixth Crusades of Frederick II are counted as a single crusade...
combined to delay any intervention by Charles. Under Pope Gregory X
Pope Gregory X
Pope Blessed Gregory X , born Tebaldo Visconti, was Pope from 1271 to 1276. He was elected by the papal election, 1268–1271, the longest papal election in the history of the Roman Catholic Church....
, negotiations for the union of the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
es were initiated, and any move by Charles against Constantinople was forbidden. However, he was encouraged by the Pope to purchase the claim of Maria of Antioch
Mary of Antioch
Maria of Antioch , daughter of Prince Bohemond IV of Antioch and his second wife Melisende de Lusignan, was the pretender to the throne of Jerusalem from 1269 to 1277...
to the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
in 1277, to which he sent a bailli
Bailli
A bailli was the king’s administrative representative during the ancien régime in northern France, where the bailli was responsible for the application of justice and control of the administration and local finances in his baillage...
to rule in his name. This was part of a papal strategy to preserve the Kingdom of Jerusalem by integrating it into a trans-Mediterranean empire allied with the French royal house, which would provide the necessary resource for the Kingdom's defense. In 1278, by a provision of the Treaty of Viterbo, the Principality of Achaea
Principality of Achaea
The Principality of Achaea or of the Morea was one of the three vassal states of the Latin Empire which replaced the Byzantine Empire after the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. It became a vassal of the Kingdom of Thessalonica, along with the Duchy of Athens, until Thessalonica...
also came under his direct rule.
The accession of Pope Martin IV
Pope Martin IV
Pope Martin IV, born Simon de Brion held the papacy from February 21, 1281 until his death....
, who was largely under Charles' influence, removed the last obstacle to Charles' ambitions. The new Pope declared the Union of the Churches a failure, clearing the way for Charles' plans of conquest. Like the Treaty of Viterbo, the new alliance against Constantinople would unite the arms of Charles, the dynast of the Latin Empire (now Philip of Courtenay
Philip of Courtenay
Philip I of Courtenay was titular Emperor of Constantinople 1273–1283. He was the son of Baldwin II of Constantinople and Marie of Brienne....
, Baldwin II having died in 1273) under Papal sanction. Furthermore, the Venetians, who had played a key role in the Latin Empire but had not subscribed to the Treaty of Viterbo, were also to be brought into the alliance.
Provisions
Pope Martin IV
Pope Martin IV, born Simon de Brion held the papacy from February 21, 1281 until his death....
had moved to Orvieto
Orvieto
Orvieto is a city and comune in Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff...
after Viterbo
Viterbo
See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...
was placed under Interdict
Interdict (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholic canon law, an interdict is an ecclesiastical censure that excludes from certain rites of the Church individuals or groups, who nonetheless do not cease to be members of the Church.-Distinctions in canon law:...
for imprisoning two cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
s. Its stated purpose was the dethronement of the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII
Michael VIII Palaiologos
Michael VIII Palaiologos or Palaeologus reigned as Byzantine Emperor 1259–1282. Michael VIII was the founder of the Palaiologan dynasty that would rule the Byzantine Empire until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453...
in favor of Philip and the establishment of the Union of the Churches, bringing the Greek Orthodox Church
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
under the authority of the Pope. Its practical motivation, however, was to re-establish the Latin Empire, under Angevin domination, and to restore Venetian commercial privileges in Constantinople.
Under the terms of the treaty, Philip and Charles were to supply 8,000 troops and mounts, and sufficient ships to transport them to Constantinople. Philip, Dandolo, and Charles, or Charles' son, Charles, Prince of Salerno
Charles II of Naples
Charles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
, were to personally accompany the expedition. In practice, Charles would have supplied almost all of the troops, Philip having little or no resources of his own. The Venetians would supply forty galleys as escorts for the invasion fleet, which was to sail from Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
no later than April 1283. Upon Philip's restoration to the throne, he was to confirm the concessions of the Treaty of Viterbo and the privileges granted to Venice at the founding of the Latin Empire, including recognition of the Doge as dominator of "one-fourth and one-eighth of the Latin Empire."
A second document was also drawn up to organize a vanguard
Vanguard (military tactics)
The vanguard is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force.- Medieval origins :...
to precede the main expedition of 1283. Charles and Philip were to supply fifteen ships and ten transports with about 300 men and horses. The Venetians were to provide fifteen warships for seven months of the year. These forces would make war against Michael VIII and "other occupiers" of the Latin Empire (presumably the Genoese
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
), and would meet at Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
by 1 May 1282, paving the way for the next year's invasion.
The two treaties were signed by Charles and Philip on 3 July 1281. They were ratified by the Doge of Venice on 2 August 1281.
Consequences
A few weeks after the signing of the treaty, Pope Martin excommunicated Michael VIII. Provisions were duly made for the expedition, and a few skirmishes took place around EuboeaEuboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
. Nikephoros
Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas
Nikephoros I Komnenos Doukas, Latinized as Nicephorus I Comnenus Ducas , was ruler of Epirus from 1267/8 to c. 1297.-Life:Nikephoros was the eldest son of Michael II Komnenos Doukas and Theodora Petraliphaina...
, the ruler of Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
, also concluded a treaty with Charles, Philip, and Dandolo in September 1281. However, shortly before the expedition was to sail, the Sicilian Vespers
Sicilian Vespers
The Sicilian Vespers is the name given to the successful rebellion on the island of Sicily that broke out on the Easter of 1282 against the rule of the French/Angevin king Charles I, who had ruled the Kingdom of Sicily since 1266. Within six weeks three thousand French men and women were slain by...
broke out (30 March 1282). The resulting civil war split the Kingdom of Sicily in two, and Charles spent the rest of his life trying to quell it. His descendants would continue to maintain an ever more tenuous rule over parts of the Latin Empire, but no grand expedition against Constantinople was ever mounted.