Barony of Karytaina

Barony of Karytaina
Barony of Karytaina
Barony of the Principality of Achaea
1209–1275/89
	; Map of the Peloponnese with its principal locations during the late Middle Ages
Capital	Karytaina
Area
• Coordinates	37°29′N 22°3′E / 37.483°N 22.050°E
• Type	Feudal lordship
Historical era	Middle Ages
• Established	1209
• Return to the princely domain	1275/89

The Barony of Karytaina or of Skorta was a medieval Frankish fiefdom of the Principality of Achaea, located in the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, centred on the town of Karytaina (Greek: Καρύταινα; French: Caraintaine; Italian: Caritena) in the mountainous region known as Skorta.^[1]

History

The Barony of Karytaina was established ca. 1209, after the conquest of the

Elis.^[4]

The first baron was probably

William II of Villehardouin, and his absence from the Peloponnese in 1263–65 without authorization, as required by Achaean feudal law, he was dispossessed twice, but was each time pardoned and restored to the barony, albeit now no longer by inalienable right of conquest, but as a gift from the Prince. Geoffrey had no heirs, and on his death in 1275 the barony was split: one half remained with his widow, Isabella de la Roche, and the other reverted to the Prince's domain.^[6] Two pretenders to the barony appeared a few years later: a certain John Pestel, and Geoffrey's nephew, Geoffrey the Younger, who after much persistence managed to obtain the fief of Moraina.^[7]

Isabella married a second time, to

John of Gravina tried to recover the fortress, but without success.^[11]

Coinage

Along with the

Barony of Damala, Karytaina is the sole barony of Achaea known to have minted coinage in its own name: a series of billon deniers issued in the 1290s by Helena Angelina Komnene, second wife and widow of Hugh of Brienne. These were marked with the legends HELENA D[E]I GRA[TIA] and CLARICTIA S[EMI] F[EUDI DOMINA], apparently in claim of her husband's half-barony.^[12] As A. Bon points out, however, this issue was struck with CLARICTIA and not CARITENA, and at any rate was made in her capacity as regent for the Duchy of Athens rather than as lady of Karytaina.^[13]