Person

Francesco I Gattilusio

d. 1384 · 14th century

Francesco I Gattilusio was a Genoese adventurer who helped the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos regain his throne from John VI Kantakouzenos in 1354. In reward he received the island of Lesbos and the hand of John V's sister Maria, founding the Gattilusio lordship of Lesbos. He ruled from Mytilene until he was killed in an earthquake in 1384.

Francesco I Gattilusio
Image: Unknown 14th century mint master · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Lordship of LesbosLordship of Ainos

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Francesco I Gattilusio. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francesco-i-gattilusio
MLA
“Francesco I Gattilusio.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francesco-i-gattilusio. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Francesco I Gattilusio.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francesco-i-gattilusio.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Francesco I Gattilusio’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francesco-i-gattilusio (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻