Peter Spani (Albanian: Pjetër Shpani; fl. 1430–1457) was an Albanian nobleman and Venetianpronoetes in the first half of the 15th century. His family's domains included territories around Shkodër (Scutari), Drisht (Drivasto) and western Kosovo.[1] He ruled over Shala, Shosh, Nikaj-Mërtur (Lekbibaj) and Pult; the whole region under the Ottomans took his name, Petrişpan-ili (literally, 'dominions of Pjetër Shpani'). Between 1444 and 1455, Peter was a member of the League of Lezhë and after his death, the League took his territories.
Family
The Spani family appears for the first time in Shkodër, c. 1322. They were involved in trade in the city and gradually became a major landowning family. Peter Spani appears in 1401 in archival documents as one of the pro-Venetian notables in the medieval city of Drivasto. The Spani seem to have been involved in a dispute with the Jonima family who during the time the Balšić family controlled it acquired lands which previously belonged to the Spani. Nevertheless, when Peter Spani petitioned Venice , which in the meantime had taken control of Drisht, to regrant him lands which - according to him - had been usurped by Stefan Jonima, the Venetian administration refused to get involved. The feud between Spani and Jonima continue for many years. In 1415, Spani provided evidence that Stefan Jonima had collaborated with "enemies of Venice" in the region and the Venetian Senate decided finally to returns the lands which Spani requested back to him.[2]
Peter's father, Marin, is first mentioned in 1409 as already deceased.[3] And since Peter did not have any sons, he emphasized that his successor would be his nephew Marin, a son of his brother Brajko.[4] Peter's other brother, Stefan,[5] was appointed by the Venetians as the lord of village Podgora in 1406.[6][7][1]
League of Lezhë
In March 1444, Peter Spani attended a meeting of several noblemen from Albania held in Lezhë when they allied themselves into a League of Lezhë.[8] The League of Lezhë was founded by:[9][10][11]
In 1451 after Alfonso signed the Treaty of Gaeta with Skanderbeg, he signed similar treaties with Peter Spani and other chieftains from Albania: Gjergj Arianiti, Ghin Musachi, George Strez Balšić, Pal III Dukagjini, Thopia Musachi, Peter of Himara, Simon Zenebishi and Carlo II Tocco.[12]Gjon Muzaka's Brief chronicle on the descendants of our Musachi dynasty (1515) mentions that he survived the war and lived to an advanced age.[13] In the early Ottoman-era subdivisions of Albania, the region formerly ruled by Pjetër Spani was known in Ottoman Turkish as Petrishpani or Ishpani.[14] From 1430 to 1456, the Spani are also often mentioned in the archives of the Republic of Ragusa.[15]
^Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti 1980, p. 39: "Сам тај Петар ни 1415 није имао мушких потомака па је истицао као свог наследника нећака Марина, сина већ преминутог Брајка."
^Bešić 1970, p. 91: "...затим браћу Петра и Стефана Спана..."
^Božić 1979, p. 277: "Стефан Спан, „скадарски племић", најпре je 1406. био постављен за главара великог села Подгоре,..."
^Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti 1983, p. 72: "склопио је у Љешу (савез за рат против Турака. Тој скупштини, на којој је он изабран за вођа, присуствовао је и Петар Спан,..."
^Božić 1979, p. 364: "Никола Дукађин убио је Леку Закарију. Према млетачком хроничару Стефану Мању убио га је "у битки" као његов вазал. Мада Барлеције погрешно наводи да је убиство извршио Лека Дукађин..."
^Schmitt 2001, p. 297: "Nikola und Paul Dukagjin, Leka Zaharia von Dagno, Peter Span, Herr der Berge hinter Drivasto, Georg Strez Balsha sowie Johann und Gojko Balsha, die sich zwischen Kruja und Alessio festgesetzt hatten, die Dushman von Klein-Polatum sowie Stefan (Stefanica) Crnojevic, der Herr der Oberzeta..."
^Noli 1947, p. 49: "Later on Alphonse concluded similar treaties with George Araniti, Ghin Musachi, George Stresi Balsha, Peter Spani, Paul Ducaghini,..."
Bojović, Jovan R. (1991). Stanovništvo Slovenskog Porijekla u Albaniji: Zbornik Radova sa Međunarodnog Naučnog Skupa Održanog u Cetinju 21, 22. i 23. Juna 1990 (in Serbian). Titograd: Istorijski Institut SR Crne Gore.
Božić, Ivan (1980) [1976]. "Спани - Шпање". Glas (in Serbian). Belgrade: Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. OCLC183333221.
Malović-Đukić, Marica (1991). "Пилот у средњем веку". Становништво словенског поријекла у Албанији: Зборник радова са међународног научног скупа одржаног на Цетињу 21, 22. и 23. јуна 1990. године. Titograd: Историјски институт СР Црне Горе. OCLC29549273.
