Antoine le Flamenc

Who was Antoine le Flamenc?

Anthony was the Frankish baron of Karditsa. He was married to Isabella Pallavicini and co-ruled the March of Bodonitsa with her from 1278 to 1286, when she died. The Livre de la Conqueste refers to him as un des plus sages hommes de Romanie and le plus sage dou duchame.

Anthony was of Flemish ancestry and his forefathers had long been settled in the Holy Land before Anthony rose to prominence in Frankish Greece. By his marriage, while young, to the much older Isabella, he obtained the co-rule of the most important Frankish fief in northern Greece and it was there in the north that his power was to reside for the remainder of his life. On Isabella's death, he disputed the succession to the march with her cousin Thomas Pallavicini, but the arbitration of William I of Athens found in favour of the latter.

Anthony was appointed to act as bailiff and lieutenant of Thessaly by Guy II of Athens in 1303. His son John received a similar post in Thessaly. There they had to deal with annual winter raids of the Vlachs.

In 1308, the Republic of Venice accused Anthony, Guy, Rocaforte, and Boniface of Verona of plotting to invade Negroponte.