Francis Zorzi

Who was Francis Zorzi?

Francis Zorzi, called Marchesotto, was the Margrave of Bodonitsa, a member of the Venetian Zorzi family, from 1345 to his death.

Francis was the son of Guglielma Pallavicini and her husband Nicholas, the first Zorzi lord of Bodonitsa. His parents were embroiled in a dispute when Nicholas died in 1354 and Guglielma raised Francis to co-rule with her. The Republic of Venice was pleased that one of its own was again ruling Bodonitsa and happily negotiated for Francis and his mother with the Catalan Duchy of Athens.

Francis was a vassal of the Duke of Athens, to whom he was obligated to send an annual of tribute of four armed horses. Francis tried to maintain his independence from the Catalan vicar general of Athens and resisted the attempts of Peter IV of Aragon to establish his authority in Greece. He also supported Maria of Sicily against Peter for the Trinacrian throne. Indeed, through inheritance and "mercantile venture" he had obtained "a very fine estate" and great wealth, being the most important of Mary's princely supporters. Francis even made overtures to the Navarrese mercenaries of Juan de Urtubia before his death, perhaps encouraging their sack of Thebes. He took part in the Council of Thebes on 1 October 1373.