The Albanian Stratiots, the fearsome mercenaries of Europe

2023-01-07 17:28:14Histori SHKRUAR NGA LUAN RAMA
The Albanian Stratiots, the fearsome mercenaries of Europe

The old history of Albanians reveals more and more surprising feats and events, where, not infrequently, Albanians are protagonists and decisive actors of major events outside Albanian territories. And when you encounter these feats, these names of knights and distinguished politicians on the pages of medieval books, it seems that in the grace of time you discover shining stones, as if those embers were hidden like that, never to be extinguished. Such were the famous Albanian stratiots, these iron-clad knights, who for nearly a century and a half, were considered the most glorious cavalry of European Christianity.

The name of stratiots comes from the Greek "stratiotes" which means warrior, used by the Albanians of Morea. The Venetians called them "stradioti". The Stratiotes appeared in history after the glorious era of Skanderbeg. It was the time when the Ottoman hordes began to flock to the western Balkans to reach the Adriatic and reach the northern shores of the Mediterranean. Philippe de Commynes, (1447-1511) a well-known diplomat in Europe and adviser to the king of France, in his memoirs Memoires, writes about the fame of stratiots, reminding us of the early dictionary Thresor de la langue Françoyse. "They were Albanians from Durres (Durrësi) and Albanian-Greeks who came from the Morea, which at that time was also under the control of the Venetians".

Commynes had seen them in Venice when 1,500 stratiotes had landed on the island, where they had made a grand parade, near the abbey of Saint-Nicolas. Stratiots were then identified with the term "Cavalerie Albanoise" and the West had a great need for them, as it was often the cavalry that decided the fate of great battles. They were warriors armed to the teeth, in iron suits and long cuffs of steel webbing, carrying a double-pointed 10-foot-long spear, which they wielded with both hands, and who fought on horseback always on foot. . Their spear was called "zagayé", which is no wonder an old Albanian word. They were described as "terrible warriors", as the chroniclers of the time describe them, and they slept outside, in nature, with their horses.

The Stratiotes were in fact a mercenary force, but very Christian, and there is no doubt that in the war against the Turks, this element played a first-hand role. Forced to abandon their territories, at first, they fought alongside Venice against the armies of the king of France, where, as written in old historical texts, "for every Frenchman's head, they were paid 1 ducat". However, they also served the other republics of northern Italy or Naples.

However, after that, the connection with the French kings would last for more than a century. King Henry II of France strengthened his cavalry by conscripting a large number of stratiots into the French army. His cavalry was called "Argoulets" at that time, while the stratiots, the French sometimes called them "Albanais" and sometimes "Estradiots". In fact, the stratiots would also engage under the reign of Louis XII, who received 2000 stratiots dressed in Albanian, or "à l'albanoise", as the French chroniclers write. In his travel notes, Jean Marot, poet and personal secretary of the French king, wrote that "they came on horses as if a storm was coming". In the 16th century, three cavalry were the most famous throughout Europe: firstly, the Albanian stratiots, secondly, the Spanish "genetiaires" knights, and thirdly, the German "reîtres" knights.

The Albanian Stratiots, the fearsome mercenaries of Europe

Even at that time, the expression "chevaucher comme un Albanais" ("to ride like an Albanian") was used in France. Another king of France, François I, one of France's most progressive kings, also introduced many Stratiote knights into his army. His son had brought them closer to his bodyguard, while Henry IV and Louis XIII had them in their armies. Similarly, Henri I de Montmorency, one of the famous dukes and marshals of France, had his bodyguard only with Albanians. According to Ch. Hopt, in his book Chroniques greco-romaines, writes about the son of John Muzaka, Adrian, who was a captain of light cavalry in the service of the French king. He had under his command a troop of 200 stratiotes, and with them he fought against the English in the north of France.

Even Mercurius Bua was known as a famous stratiot, who would also receive the rank of general of Louis XII's French cavalry. Even in Venetian documents, he was called "magnifico conte Mercuri Bua". Italian chroniclers write about the great help he gave Prince Malatesta Baglioni in the war against the Spaniards, marching together towards Verona, to free him. Historian Jean-Claude Favereyal, in his study History of Albania, writing about the old ties between the French and the Albanians, points out that "At the time of Louis XIII, the French missionaries who visited Albania were surprised to see with admiration this race with spirit powerful, tall, with harsh features and weapons with the emblems of the French lily". Precisely, at the height of the stratiots' glory, the figure of one of their great leaders, Konstantin Aranitis, stands out.

Aranitis, ally of the French king

Kostantin Araniti is one of the most surprising characters of Albanian history after the Skanderbeg era. He was one of the rare ones who reached a European dimension in the royal courts of the republics of northern Italy, the kingdom of France or Naples in southern Italy, etc. Unfortunately, Albanian historiography has touched very little on this charming and trustworthy figure, but also a person on whom the king of France and the other kings of the south and north of Italy needed to rely. Many Italian and French historians, when they have written about the history of the Italian wars or the history of the French king Charles VIII, have also stopped at the figure of this character often called: Constantin Arniti. As the French historian Commynes wrote, who knew him closely, Konstantini was born in 1456 in Durrës and was the son of Gjergj Araniti, an Albanian feudal lord known in the wars against the Ottomans. One of his brothers, Vladan Araniti, was married to one of Skenderbeu's sisters, while Skenderbeu himself was married to his sister Donika Araniti. "The mother of Constantine Araniti was Petrina Francone from Pula, the eldest daughter of the baron of Taurisano, Oliviero Francone, an Aragonese lieutenant from Lecce. Gjergj Araniti, writes the French diplomat, died in Durrës and left three sons, who in 1464 were recognized as "Venetian patricians". Constantine even entered the pontifical service (to the Pope) and achieved a function as "apostolic rotonoter". At the end of 1486, Constantine went to the service of his niece, Maria of Serbia, born with the surname Brankovic and who was the wife of Marquis Boniface of Montferrat in Italy. But as a legacy from his ancestors, he also had the title "comte de Macedoine and duke of Acaia (Northern Greece)".

In 1495, Commynes is the envoy of the king of France in Venice. The notes of this ambassador and historian are very interesting, both for the atmosphere and the situation of Albania at that time, as well as for Aranitis and the war of Stratiots. In fact, King Charles VIII was descended from the Angevin family (in 1272, Charles I d'Anjou was king of Naples and Albania) and after his coronation as king of France, he had to go and be crowned king in Naples and kingdom of Naples. In Casale, in northern Italy, on October 7-10, 1494, he met with the Albanian leader Konstantin Araniti and his granddaughter, Maria of Serbia. With Arani, he talked about starting a battle on a wide front against the Turks. Even as the chroniclers write, the king had seen in a dream a crusader flag, which meant for him that he had to save the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem. In Casale, Aranitis pushed the French king to undertake a real crusade against the Ottomans and for this he promised the contribution of tens of thousands of stratiotes and other infantry waiting on the shores of the Adriatic, in the Albanian lands. Of course, Aranit's goal was to liberate Albania and return to its homeland. As Commynes informs us, in a manifesto of November 22, 1494, which was printed and distributed in Florence, Charles VIII for the first time made known his project to land at Vlora, on the Albanian coast. His plan was very ambitious: to break the Turks and establish the Byzantine Empire. And in this project he had the support of the Vatican. As he himself was going to Naples for the coronation, he decided to send 6 thousand soldiers to Vlora led by Antoine de Ville, sire de Domjulien. On January 27, 1495, the treaty of alliance between Charles VIII and the Pope was signed, while Commynes hid in his embassy in Venice Constantine Arani, who was on a secret mission: preparing the revolt with the help of France.

From Venice, as the French historian Joël Blanchard informs us, who refers to Commynes, it is written that: "Thousands of Christians are ready to revolt. From Otranto to Vlora are only 60 miles and from Vlora to Constantinople are 18 days' journey on foot, on a road where there are only 2-3 castles, as the others have been destroyed. All these countries with Albanians, Slavs and Greeks received the king's news from their friends who were in Venice or in Puglia and who were only waiting for the "messiah" to stand up. The Archbishop of Durrës is Albanian. He has told me about an extraordinary number of Albanians, ready to join the war and who are the sons and grandsons of many lords such as Skënderbeu, a son of Constantinople, or the nephew of the lord Constantine, who today governs in Montferrat. Among the janissaries, more than 5 thousand of them have left the Turkish ranks. Shkodra and Kruja were taken thanks to the work of Konstantin, who for many days hid in Venice with me.

Macedonia and Thessaly are part of his inheritance…”

But what was happening in Venice, at the time when, after the flight of Constantine, the archbishop of Durrës Martino Firmiano went there, who had landed loaded with weapons to prepare the revolt? Commynes is in close contact with him and the refugees of the Morea Islands, helping them put their plan into action. It was always the idea of ??launching a new crusade, this time against Turkey. But as we will learn from Commynes, Venice played a double policy. When Venice found out that this uprising was being prepared and that the Albanians would join the French of Charles VIII, they prevented this war for fear that the Turks' impunity would fall on them as well. They had great needs and interests to get along well with Sultan Bayazit and they had the doors of trade open. The Venetians discovered Archbishop Martino's mission in Venice, imprisoning him in a castle after finding all the plans for the rebellion, as well as a letter from King Charles VIII. However, Martino managed to escape. In fact, for the Venetians the situation had become complicated. Jem, the Sultan's brother, who was held captive near the Vatican, died suddenly. Meanwhile he had allied himself with the Westerners and the Vatican against his brother in Istanbul, hoping one day to attack and dethrone him. But with his death, the Turks already had the free way to attack the Italians and the French. Meanwhile, the Venetians had been informed about the preparations of the Turks who were arming themselves in the More, fortifying Negroponte (Eubea, Greece) which had fallen into their hands years ago. But they were also preparing in Vlora, in Gallipoli, and elsewhere. Meanwhile, Constantine went to Milan and tried to convince the Sforza nobles to engage in this great battle. But the Milanese Sforzas do not accept, they even secretly ask the Venetians to stop Arani in his efforts. In Durrës, Martino Firmiano's warriors collected weapons, while on the other side of the Adriatic, Constantine asked the Dalmatians of Ragusa to sell him some "lombardas", warships, in order to be able to conquer the castles that were still in the hands of the Turks. they even secretly ask the Venetians to stop Aranitus in his endeavours. In Durrës, Martino Firmiano's warriors collected weapons, while on the other side of the Adriatic, Constantine asked the Dalmatians of Ragusa to sell him some "lombardas", warships, in order to be able to conquer the castles that were still in the hands of the Turks. they even secretly ask the Venetians to stop Aranitus in his endeavours. In Durrës, Martino Firmiano's warriors collected weapons, while on the other side of the Adriatic, Constantine asked the Dalmatians of Ragusa to sell him some "lombardas", warships, in order to be able to conquer the castles that were still in the hands of the Turks.

An event about which much will be written in the chronicles of the time is that of the battle of Fornou in Italy, at the time when King Charles VIII was advancing towards northern Italy to reach the French south and then continue the journey towards Paris . In his army he had not only French and Swiss soldiers but also Albanian Stratiots. The king followed his vanguard together with the barge with the numerous baggage, with riches and gold taken in Naples, where he had placed the crown. But the Milanese and the Venetians, in alliance between them, wanted to cut the road and break the French army, despite the efforts of Aranitis to make them allies of France. The Italian troops of Mantua's chief, Gonzague, with the white checkered flag, and those of the Venetians with the haloed lion of St. Mark, united with the troops of Ludovico Sforza, followed the movement of the army, which was commanded by the French marshal Gié. But the Marquis of Mantou, like the French, had 1,500 stratiotes in service, who followed Charles VIII's army from the hilltops with their horses. Finally on the plateau of Pô, on June 30, 1495, the marquis stationed his stratiots in the village of Giorola, through which the road to Parma passed. On July 1, the Stratiote cavalry attacked the French. Excited by the beginnings of the battle, Gonzague immediately announced the victory to Venice, but victory was not yet in their hands. Marshal Gié managed to disperse the Stratiots, but in front of him, in the valley of Taro, there were 30 thousand enemy troops. When the army crossed the river, King Charles VIII gave a pathetic speech to encourage the army. Then he gave the direction to march. The soldiers made the sign of the cross and the allied Swiss kissed the ground. On July 5, when the French army attacked, the Stratiotes spotted the line of wagons with the king's baggage and left the fight, attacking the baggage. Meanwhile, the French were on the verge of defeat, but only the courage of the king brought the army to light. They were 10,000 French against an army 3 times their size. When they saw the lone king rush into the field of battle, then all the French rushed after him. And as the stratiotes were dealing with the baggage of the rear, the Gonzague soldiers and the Venetians finally broke. carrying your luggage. Meanwhile, the French were on the verge of defeat, but only the courage of the king brought the army to light. They were 10,000 French against an army 3 times their number. When they saw the lone king rush into the field of battle, then all the French rushed after him. And as the stratiotes were dealing with the baggage of the rear, the Gonzague soldiers and the Venetians finally broke. carrying your luggage. Meanwhile, the French were on the verge of defeat, but only the courage of the king brought the army to light. They were 10,000 French against an army 3 times their size. When they saw the lone king rush into the field of battle, then all the French rushed after him. And as the stratiotes were dealing with the baggage of the rear, the Gonzague soldiers and the Venetians finally broke.

It was during this period that Maria of Serbia, the widow of Boniface de Montferrat, died, leaving behind two small children. The French king Charles VIII immediately sent his faithful Commynes to Casale to help Aranito take control of Montferrat, so that they would not leave it in the hands of the nobles of Milan. In this way, the children would grow up under Aranit's care. After the death of Charles VIII, Aranitis continued his friendship and alliance with the French. He joined King Louis XII or Louis of Orléans, as he was then called, in the war against the Milanese. In F.Lot's book Recherches sur les effectifs des armés française des guerres d'Italie aux guerres de religion, it is written that - "When Louis XII entered Milan, Constantine was in the first ranks next to him". From this historical source, we also learn that Araniti was in command at that time of artillerymen and "crossbowmen". The king rewarded him with the order of Saint-Michel and in the letters he sent him, he always addressed him with the words "Mon cousin" ("My cousin"), since then it was reserved only for sovereign princes. Even Constantine's son would later serve King Charles Quint, where he would stand out in particular in the campaign of Algiers (1541) and in the fierce battle of Smalkada in 1546, in Germany. Almost 30 years later the famous battle of Coutra would take place in France, which was actually a civil and religious war between French Catholics and Protestants. Even Constantine's son would later serve King Charles Quint, where he would stand out in particular in the campaign of Algiers (1541) and in the fierce battle of Smalkada in 1546, in Germany. Almost 30 years later the famous battle of Coutra would take place in France, which was actually a civil and religious war between French Catholics and Protestants. Even Constantine's son would later serve King Charles Quint, where he would stand out in particular in the campaign of Algiers (1541) and in the fierce battle of Smalkada in 1546, in Germany. Almost 30 years later the famous battle of Coutra would take place in France, which was actually a civil and religious war between French Catholics and Protestants.

Stratiots who perished under the banner of Catholicism

Meanwhile, the Albanian Stratiotes moved from one battle to another. Such was the battle of Cambrai in the north of France, where Alexandre Farnese, in the service of one of the sons of Queen Catherine de Medicis, had an army of 8 thousand infantry. Chroniclers write that on the eve of the battle he expected 1,500 stratiotes, "the best cavalry that Christendom could have" ("le mieux cavalerie que soit en Chrétienté"). Stratiotes were already part of the French cavalry, but some of them were also in the troops of the marquises and dukes of the Italian republics. All the royal courts wanted to have under their service these tough, brave, loyal warriors and experienced in hundreds of battles. But Coutra's fight would be at the same time the epilogue of glory, their tragic end. To defend French Catholicism, in October 1587 they set out for Coutras, under the banner of the Catholic King Henry III. While the Protestant army was commanded by the Frenchman and pretender to the throne, Henry de Navarre, who after the victory of Coutras, would become King Henry IV.

The battle of Coutras in the province of Gironde was a massive battle and thousands of Albanian stratiotes were commanded by Duke De Joyeuse and his assistant De Lavardin who had 300 stratiotes under his command, apart from other stratiotes following De Joyeuse. In this war, almost all the Stratiotes would be killed, together with their commander De Joyeuse. The few stratiotes that remained of this great slaughter were scattered throughout France. Since that time, the chroniclers no longer speak of the "Cavalerie Albanoise", although we will find stratiots again in the royal guards and special troops, but they were already few in number until they finally disappeared in the mists of time. It is not surprising that the "Passage des Albanais" road found in Orleans, as well as other toponyms related to Albanians, are connected precisely to the famous stratiots,

*Topic previously used by the author in periodicals of the country

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