Spouse Komnina Arianiti Father Pavle Balšić Died after 1468 | Noble family Balšić Mother Jela Kastrioti | |
Occupation Member of the League of Lezhë (1444-?) Parents Pavle Balšić, Jela Kastrioti | ||
Gojko Balšić (Serbian: Гојко Балшић, Albanian: Gojko Balsha, Latin: Coico Balsa; fl. 1444) and his brothers George Strez and John were the lords of Misia, a coastal area from the White Drin towards the Adriatic. The brothers were members of the Balšić family, which earlier held Zeta. They participated in founding the League of Lezhë, an alliance led by their maternal uncle Skanderbeg. Gojko supported Skanderbeg until the latter's death in 1468, and then continued to fight against the Ottomans within Venetian forces.
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Family
There are two views of his genealogy. According to Gjon Muzaka and Karl Hopf, Ivan (John, Gjon) and Gojko Strez Balšić were in fact children of Vlajka Kastrioti and Stefan Strez who was a son of Đurađ Balšić, an illegitimate child of Đurađ I Balšić. According to Fan Noli, Gojko had two brothers (George Strez and Ivan), both children of Jela Kastrioti and Pavle Balšić. Both views confirm that Gojko was Skanderbeg's nephew.
Gojko married Komnina, a daughter of Gjergj Arianiti. According to Gjon Muzaka, they had two sons and one daughter, Maria. The sons died in Hungary. Muzaka stated that Maria married the Count of Muro and had two daughters, Beatrice and Isabel. Beatrice, married Prince Ferdinand Orsino, Duke of Gravina while Isabel, married Lord Louis of Gesualdo, Count of Conza.
Biography
Gojko and his brothers were lords of Misia, a coastal area from the White Drin towards the Adriatic. The three Balšić brothers joined the League of Lezhë, an alliance formed by their maternal uncle Skanderbeg, after meeting in the St. Nicholas Church in Lezhë on March 2, 1444. The members included Lekë Zaharia, Peter Spani, Lekë Dushmani, Andrea Thopia, Gjergj Arianiti, Theodor Musachi, Stefan Crnojević, and their subjects. Skanderbeg was elected its leader, and commander in chief of its armed forces numbering a total of 8,000 warriors.
Gojko's brother George cancelled his support to Skanderbeg after a while, while Gojko and John supported Skanderbeg until his death in 1468. After Skanderbeg's death Gojko and John Balsha, together with Leke, Progon and Nicholas Dukagjini, continued to fight for Venice.