Pal Dukagjini
| Pal Dukagjini | |
|---|---|
| Noble family | Dukagjini |
| Father | Tanush Dukagjini |
| Born | 1411 |
| Died | 1458 |
| Occupation | ?–1444: Vassal of Lekë Zaharia 1444–1454: Vassal of Venice 1454–1457: Vassal of the Kingdom of Naples 1457: Joined Ottoman forces |
Pal Dukagjini or Paul Ducagin (Italian: Paolo Ducagini, 1411–1458) was an Albanian nobleman, a member of the Dukagjini family. He and his kinsman Nicholas Dukagjini were initially subjects of Lekë Zaharia, a Venetian vassal who had possessions around Shkoder. Nicholas murdered Lekë, and the Dukagjini continued to rule over their villages under Venetian vassalage. Pal and Nicholas were part of the League of Lezhë, a military alliance that sought liberation of Albania from the Ottoman Empire, founded by the powerful Skanderbeg. In 1454, the Dukagjini accepted vassalage of Alfonso V of Aragon, as other chieftains had done three years earlier. Pal later abandoned Skanderbeg's army and deserted to the Ottomans.
He was one of the founding members of the League of Lezhë, a military alliance of some Christian members of the Albanian nobility forged in Lezhë on 2 March 1444 by:
Pal Dukagjin and Nikola Dukagjin were vassals of Lekë Zaharia until Nikola Dukagjini killed him in 1444. Venice accepted their control over the properties they ruled when they were vassals of Lekë Zaharia (which included villages Buba, Salita, Gurichuchi, Baschina) because they agreed to be Venetian vassals after Zaharia's death.
Alfonso V of Aragon first signed the Treaty of Gaeta with Skanderbeg in 1451 and then he signed similar treaties with Pal Dukagjini and other chieftains from Albania including: George Araniti, Ghin Musachi, George Strez Balšić, Peter Spani, Thopia Musachi, Peter of Himara, Simon Zenebishi and Carlo Toco.
Pal was in Venice between November 1451 and February 1452, when the Venetian Senate accepted his request not to serve Venice in Ulcinj anymore but in Alessio because it was closer to his estates. The Senate ordered the lord of Ulcinj to pay for the previous services of Pal Dukagjin, and ordered the lord of Alessio to accept Pal's future services.
...
Wikipedia