Noble family Spani Died 1457 Role League of Lezhe | Name Peter Spani Father Marin Spani Parents Marin Spani | |
Peter Spani (Albanian: Pjetër Spani; fl. 1430 – 1457) was a Catholic Albanian nobleman and Venetian pronoier in the first half of 15th century. His domains included several villages on the territory between Shkodër and Drivastum. 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 1450 he was a member of the League of Lezhë.
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Family
Peter Spani was member of Spani family which was of Greek origin. The surname Span or Spani probably derives from the Greek word spanos (beardless). Peter's father Marin is mentioned in 1409 as already dead. Since he did not have any sons, Petar emphasized that he will be inherited by his nephew Marin, a son of his brother Brajko. Petar's brother Stefan Span was lord of village Podgora.
League of Lezhë
Peter Spani attended a meeting of several noblemen from Albania held in Lezhë in March 1444 when they allied themselves into a League of Lezhë. The League of Lezhë was founded by:
- Lekë Zaharia (lord of Sati and Dagnum) and his vassals Pal Dukagjin and Nicholas Dukagjini
- Peter Spani (lord of the mountains behind Drivasto)
- Lekë Dushmani (lord of Pult)
- George Stresi Balsha with John and Gojko Balšić
- Andrea Thopia with his nephew Tanush Thopia
- Gjergj Arianiti
- Theodor Corona Musachi
- Stefan Crnojević with his sons
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 Stresi Balsha, Pal III Dukagjini, Thopia Musachi, Peter of Himara, Simon Zanebisha and Carlo Toco. Gjon Muzaka's chronicle mentions that he survived the war and lived to an advanced age. In the early subdivisions of Albania during the Ottoman era the region formerly ruled by Pjetër Spani was known in Ottoman Turkish as Petrishpani or Ishpani. From 1430 to 1456 Spani is also often mentioned in the archives of the Republic of Ragusa.