principality · Balkans and Hungary

Principality of Arbanon

1190 CE – 1255 CE (approx.) · capital Krujë

The first Albanian state, a principality around Krujë ruled by the Progon family under Byzantine, Serbian and Epirote overlords.

Origins

Arbanon, in the mountains around Krujë in central Albania, gained autonomy in the late 12th century as Byzantine power declined. Its first known ruler was the archon Progon, around 1190, followed by his sons Gjin and Dhimitër.

Rule and society

The archons ruled a Catholic and Orthodox Albanian population from Krujë, balancing Byzantium, Serbia, Venice and the papacy. Dhimitër Progoni, who styled himself panhypersebastos, married Komnena, daughter of the Serbian ruler Stefan the First-Crowned, and corresponded with Pope Innocent III. After his death around 1215, the Greek lord Gregory Kamonas and then Golem ruled.

Decline and legacy

From the 1230s Arbanon fell under the Despotate of Epirus and then the Empire of Nicaea, which took over Krujë around 1255. The area later formed part of the Kingdom of Albania (medieval).

Connections (3)

More states of Balkans and Hungary →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻