Bailli of the Principality of Achaea explained

The bailli, bailie, or bailiff was the administrative representative of the Princes of Achaea, ruling the Principality of Achaea in the Prince's absence. The early princes, who belonged to the founding Villehardouin dynasty, resided in the principality, and governed it directly. In 1278, Achaea passed to Charles of Anjou, the King of Naples. Charles, and many of his successors, ruled the principality through their baillis, and never visited it in person. Originally, the baillis were Angevin officials, but the post was often given to powerful feudatories from Achaea and the rest of Frankish Greece.

The administration of other Angevin possessions in Greece, such as Lepanto and the County palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, was also united in the hands of the bailli of Achaea.

List of baillis

Bailli	Office/Rank	Tenure	Prince	Comments	Ref
Geoffrey of Villehardouin	Baron of Kalamata and Arcadia	1208 – 1209	William of Champlitte	One of the original conquerors of the Morea, he was appointed by Prince William when the latter left to claim his inheritance in Burgundy, until his nephew Hugh arrived to become Prince. When William died en route, followed soon after by Hugh, Geoffrey, supported by the other barons, took power. He was confirmed as Prince of Achaea at the Parliament of Ravennika in May 1209.
Direct rule by Prince Geoffrey I of Villehardouin, 1209–1229
Direct rule by Prince Geoffrey II of Villehardouin, 1229–1246
Direct rule by Prince William of Villehardouin, 1246–1278
	Baron of Estamira and Grand Constable of Achaea	early 1278	Charles I of Anjou	Appointed provisional bailli by the dying Prince William, until Charles I could make his own arrangements.
	Seneschal of Sicily	August 1278 – August 1280		Had troubled relations with the local barons due to his centralizing policies and the unruly behaviour of the Angevin troops.
Philip of Lagonesse	Marshal of Sicily	August 1280 – October 1282		Reverted many of his predecessor's policies to conciliate the barons, was recalled upon the outbreak of the War of the Sicilian Vespers.
	Admiral of Sicily	October–November 1282		Nominated to succeed Lagonesse, but his duties as admiral prevented him from effectively taking up the office.
	Baron of Chalandritsa	November 1282 – 1285		First local baron to be assigned as French: bailli to keep order while the Angevins were focused on the War of the Sicilian Vespers.
	Duke of Athens	1285–1287	Charles II of Anjou	Most powerful of the Latin lords in Greece, held office until his death.
	Lord of half of Thebes	1287 – July 1289		At the time the second-most powerful lord after the underage Duke of Athens, Guy II de la Roche.
Guy of Charpigny	Baron of Vostitsa	July – September 1289
Direct rule of Princess Isabella of Villehardouin and Florent of Hainaut, September 1289 – January 1297
	Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos	January 1297 – spring 1300	Isabella (with Philip of Savoy from 1301)	An elderly and experienced man, he was father-in-law to three of the most important barons of Achaea. He was named bailli after the death of Prince Florent and the withdrawal of Isabella to Kalamata.
	Lord of Thebes, Akova, and Marshal of Achaea	spring 1300 – 1302
Direct rule of Prince Philip of Savoy, 1302–1305
	Lord of Thebes, Akova, and Marshal of Achaea	1305–1307	Isabella with Philip of Savoy
	Duke of Athens	1307–1308	Philip II of Taranto
Bertin Visconte
		1311
	Lord of Thebes, Akova, and Marshal of Achaea	1311–1314?
			Matilda of Hainaut (with Louis of Burgundy until 1316)
	Lord of Saint-Sauveur	1314–1315/6
Eustachio Pagano de Nocera
Frederick Trogisio		1318–1321
			Louis ΙΙ of Bourbon
Ligorio Guindazzo		1321–1322	John of Gravina
		1322–1323
Nicolas de Joinville		1323–1325
		1326–1327
		1327–1329
	Latin Archbishop of Patras	1329–1331
		1331–1332
Gaudino Romano de Scalea		April–August 1333	Catherine of Valois (as regent for Robert of Taranto)
Pietro de San Severo		August 1333 – July 1336
	Lord of Courthezon. He also received the title of Marshal of Achaea.	July 1336 – summer 1338
Direct rule of Princess Catherine of Valois, 1338–1341
		February/July 1341 – before July 1344	Robert of Taranto (with Catherine of Valois until 1346)
Adam "Visconte de Tremblay"		1346?		Attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea. Likely identical with Adam Visconte, an associate of Niccolò Acciaioli. First tenure.
Menillo Acrimeno of Naples				Attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea.
Nicolas Bocuto of Naples				Attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea as serving before John Delbuy.
	Knight			A French knight, he was chosen by Robert's wife, Marie de Bourbon, during Prince Robert's captivity at the hands of Louis I of Hungary. Died shortly after arriving in Achaea.
	Baron of Vostitsa			Elected by the barons of Achaea to replace Delbuy after his death.
Bertrand	Archbishop of Salerno			Chosen by Marie de Bourbon.
Galeoto del Goto	Knight			An Apulian knight, he is attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea.
Adam "Visconte de Tremblay"		unknown		Second tenure, according to the Chronicle of the Morea, which records him after Galeoto del Goto.
Walter of Lor	Knight	unknown		A French knight, he is attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea, which records him after the second tenure of Adam "Visconte de Tremblay".
				Attested in two letters by Robert of Taranto, but not in the Chronicle of the Morea.
Philip of San Blas	Knight	unknown		An Apulian knight, he is attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea, which records him after Walter of Lor.
Perroto Arrimeno		unknown		Possibly a brother or relative of Menillo Acrimeno, he is attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea, which records him after Philip of San Blas. He died in office.
Nicholas Ballena	Chancellor of Achaea	unknown		According to the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea, he was chosen by the barons on Arrimeno's death. His name is otherwise attested in 1354 and 1362.
Adam "Visconte de Tremblay"		unknown		Third tenure, according to the Chronicle of the Morea, following Ballena.
Carresello	Knight	unknown		A Neapolitan knight, possibly a member of the Caracciollo family, attested only in the Aragonese version of the Chronicle of the Morea.
	Latin Archbishop of Corinth	unknown		Attested in contemporary documents, but not in the Chronicle of the Morea.
	Marshal of Sicily and of Achaea	unknown		Attested in contemporary documents, but not in the Chronicle of the Morea.
Louis, Count of Enghien		1370–1371	Philip III of Taranto
Balthasar de Sorba		1371–1373
	Baron of Damala, Chalandritsa, Estamira, and Grand Constable of Achaea	?–1376/7	Joanna of Naples
	Latin Archbishop of Patras	1376/7
		1377–1378	Achaea leased to the Knights Hospitaller under Juan Fernández de Heredia, 1377–1381
		1380
		1381–?	James of Baux
Interregnum: De facto rule by the Navarrese Company, multiple claimants to the princely title, 1383–1396
	Cardinal	1394–?	Ladislaus of Naples	Appointed as Latin Archbishop of Patras at the same time as bailli.
Direct rule by Prince Pedro de San Superano, 1396–1402
Direct rule by Princess Maria II Zaccaria, 1402–1404
Direct rule by Prince Centurione II Zaccaria, 1404–1432

Sources

• • Book: Dourou-Iliopoulou, Maria. el:Το Φραγκικό Πριγκιπάτο της Αχαΐας (1204-1432). Ιστορία. Οργάνωση. Κοινωνία. . The Frankish Principality of Achaea (1204-1432). History. Organization. Society. . el. Thessaloniki . Vanias Publications . 2005 . 978-960-288-153-8.