County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos
The County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos existed from 1185 to 1479 as part of the Kingdom of Sicily. The title and the right to rule the Ionian islands of Cephalonia and Zakynthos was originally given to Margaritus of Brindisi for his services to William II, King of Sicily, in 1185.
| County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos Παλατινή Κομητεία της Κεφαλονιάς και της Ζακύνθου (Greek) Palatiní Komiteía tis Kefaloniás kai tis Zakýnthou | |||||||||||
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| Vassal state of various countries, de facto autonomous | |||||||||||
| 1185–1479 | |||||||||||
County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos | |||||||||||
| Capital | Castle of Saint George | ||||||||||
| Government | |||||||||||
| • Type | County palatine | ||||||||||
| Count palatine | |||||||||||
• 1185–1195 | Margaritus of Brindisi | ||||||||||
• 1448–1479 | Leonardo III Tocco | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||||
• Established | 1185 | ||||||||||
• Divided by the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice | 1479 | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | Greece | ||||||||||
Following Margaritus, the county passed on to a branch of the Orsini family until 1325, when it passed briefly to Angevins and then, from 1357, to the Tocco family. The Tocco used the county as a springboard for their acquisition of lands in the Greek mainland, and were successful in gaining control over the Despotate of Epirus in 1411. However, facing the advance of the Ottoman Turks they successively lost their mainland territories and were once again reduced to the County Palatine, which they held until 1479, when it was divided between Venice and the Ottomans. Zakynthos was put under the direct rule of Venice.