principality · Greece and the Aegean

Lordship of Andros

1207 CE – 1566 CE (approx.) · capital Andros

Latin lordship on the Cycladic island of Andros, a vassal of the Duchy of the Archipelago that survived until the Ottoman takeover in 1566.

Origins

Around 1207 the Venetian Marino Dandolo, a companion of Marco Sanudo, conquered Andros from the Byzantines and held it as a fief under Sanudo's Duchy of the Archipelago. The island was fertile and well placed on the sea route between Euboea and the central Cyclades.

Rule and society

A small Italian elite held the castle and the best land, while Greek Orthodox islanders produced silk, wine and grain. The lordship passed among Venetian families, including the Ghisi, Sanudo and Zeno, and was disputed in dynastic quarrels with the dukes of Naxos. Pietro Zeno held it from 1384, and from about 1440 the Sommaripa family, starting with Crusino I, ruled it for most of its remaining history.

Decline and legacy

Increasing Turkish raids left Andros dependent on Venetian protection and Ottoman tolerance. In 1566, when the Ottomans removed the last Crispo duke of Naxos, they also ended Sommaripa rule on Andros, which was annexed to the empire.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lordship of Andros. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-andros
MLA
“Lordship of Andros.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-andros. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Lordship of Andros.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-andros.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lordship of Andros’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/lordship-of-andros (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻