Maria Thopia
Lady Maria Thopia () was a 14th-15th century Albanian princess and a recognised illegitimate daughter of Karl Thopia, Prince of Albania by an unknown mistress. She married Filippo Maramonte, 1st Baron of Botrugno, chancellor and marshal of Ladislaus of Naples.Stefano Maramonte figlio del barone di Botrugno fu capitano di fanti in Lombardia." (Rivista storica salentina, 1905, p. 12)

Early life
240px|thumb|St. John Vladimir's Church founded by Maria's father

Nothing is known about Maria's early life except of her illegitimacy. Her father, Karl Thopia, was a son of Andrea I Thopia, Count of Matia and Hélène of Anjou. Her grandmother, was herself an illegitimate daughter of Robert, King of Naples, who was initially set to marry the Prince of Morea before breaking the engagement off.Elsie, Robert. Early Albania A Reader of Historical Texts, 11th-17th Centuries. Harrassowitz. p. 52. ISBN 978-3-4470-4783-8. "You should also know that King Robert, who was the King of Naples, sent one of his bastard daughters to the Prince of Morea for wife, but a great storm rose at sea and drove her ship towards the said town of Durres where she remained for several days..." Maria's father had another recognised illegitimate son, Niketa Thopia, and three legitimate children, Gjergj, Helena and Voisava by his wife Voisava of Zeta. It is not known whether or not Maria's and Niketa's mother were the same mistress, or if their father's affairs took place before or during his marriage to Voisava.

Marriage
thumb|Palazzo Marchesale di Botrugnothumb|right|Coat of arms of the Maramonte family
Maria married Filippo Maramonte, member of the Maramonte family, who likely originated from Maramont in Artois, France and were feudal lords in Terra d'Otranto, Province of Chieti, Abruzzo Citra and County of Molise.Berardo Candida Gonzaga, 1882, p. 107 His parents, Maramonte di Maramonti and Isabella Antoglietta were married in 1352, when his mother brought as dowry the town of Matino.Ferdinando de Luca, 1852, p. 591Domenico Ludovico De Vincentiis, volume 4, 1878, p. 19. By 1400, Filippo was already a chancellor and marshal of Ladislaus of Naples.Intorno al 1384, Filippo Maramonte, esercitando "qualche commercio" nei Balcani, fu "protovestiario (Il titolo di protovestiario esisteva nella Serbia medievale dai tempi di Stefano Uroš II Milutin (1282-1321), re dei serbi, e il suo ruolo era quello di occuparsi delle finanze statali. Questa posizione veniva spesso assegnata a mercanti di Cattaro o Ragusa che avevano esperienza nella gestione delle finanze. Il titolo di protovestiario andò in disuso nel 1435 e le sue precedenti funzioni furono trasferite ai Kaznac.) di Đurađ II Stracimirović Balšić" (Giuseppe Gelcich, 1899, p. 317), Signore di Zeta (territorio in parte sovrapponibile a quello dell'attuale Montenegro) dal 1385 al 1403, data della morte di Đurađ II Stracimirović Balšić. Her brother-in-law, on the other hand, Carlo Maramonte, Lord of Campi was a Chamberlain of the king.Domenico Ludovico De Vincentiis, volume 4, 1878, p.135. The couple had three children together.

Refuge of Helena Thopia
After the death of her husband, Kostandin Balsha in 1402 and the capture of the city of Krujë by Niketa in 1403, Helena Thopia and her son took refuge with Maria and her family.Anamali, Skënder and Prifti, Kristaq. Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime. Botimet Toena, 2002, ISBN 99927-1-622-3 pp. 251-252 She had been appointed by their father as Lady of Krujë in her own right, but her reign encountered constant attacks and conflicts by their half-brother Niketa, who eventually took control of the city. Maria's nephew, Stefan was raised by the couple and as a result was referred to as Stefan Maramonte by the Venetians and Ragusans.Bešić, Zarij M. (1970), Istorija Crne Gore / 2. Crna gora u doba oblasnih gospodara. (in Serbian), Titograd: Redakcija za istoiju Crne Gore, p. 119, OCLC 175122851, ...може се као доста поуздано прихватити дшшљење да је Стефан Балшић Марамонте био син Конставл-ина Балшића и Јелене Тогшје....његова је удовица отишла у Млетке, а затим се повуклакод своје рођаке Марије Топија, удате за Фшшпа Марамонте...Ду-бровчани и Млечани често називали Стефан Марамонте.

Family tree

References

Maria
Category:15th-century Albanian people
Category:14th-century women
Category:14th-century Italian women
Category:Medieval Albanian nobility
Category:15th-century women
Category:Albanian nobility
Category:Albanian princesses