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Gattilusio

Gattilusio was a Genoese noble family that rose to prominence in the Aegean in the late Middle Ages. The family established a dynastic lordship centered on the island of Lesbos (Mytilene) and, at various times, exercised influence over nearby territories in the Aegean. The Gattilusio line emerged in the 14th century within the broader context of Genoese interests in the region and the shifting political landscape of the Byzantine world. They maintained formal ties to the Byzantine imperial court and, over time, navigated the shifting balance of power as the Ottoman Empire expanded in the 15th century.

The rulers pursued alliances through marriages with Byzantine noble families and pursued fortifications, trade privileges, and

The Gattilusio dynasty ended with the Ottoman conquest of Lesbos. In 1462, Mehmed II seized the island,

religious
patronage
that
reinforced
Genoese
commercial
and
strategic
interests
in
the
Aegean.
Their
domain
served
as
a
semi-autonomous
entity
within
the
orbit
of
larger
powers,
balancing
independence
with
suzerainty
to
Byzantium
and,
later,
the
Ottoman
state.
bringing
an
end
to
Gattilusio
rule
in
the
Aegean.
Some
family
members
remained
as
Ottoman
subjects
or
relocated
to
Genoa
and
other
Italian
centers,
but
the
house
did
not
continue
as
an
independent
ruling
dynasty.
The
Gattilusio
are
remembered
as
a
significant
example
of
Genoese
influence
in
the
Aegean
and
as
part
of
the
broader
tapestry
of
Byzantine–Genoese–Ottoman
interactions
in
the
era.