The beginning of the
Frankish conquest in the islands of
Cephalonia,
Zakynthos and
Ithaca was linked with the pirate and admiral of the
Sicilian fleet
Margaritus of Brindisi, known to the chroniclers of the late 12th century. He developed significant activity as the privateer of
William II, Norman King of Sicily. In Latin documents of 1192 and 1193, he signed in Greek as Μαργαρίτος Βρεντεσίνος αμιράς κόμης Μελιτήιος (Margaritus Admiral, Count of Malta). Irrespective of Margaritus’ unclear descent, it is certain that William, after the Norman invasion of 1185 against the Byzantine provinces, granted him the new Norman acquisitions in the
Ionian Sea, in exchange for the services he had offered to the Norman. Ten years later, in 1195,
Matthew or Maio Orsini, who is generally considered a scion of the noble
Roman Orsini family, succeeded Margaritus as the ruler of the Ionian Islands. In order to secure his position, Matthew recognized the dominion of
Venice in 1209 and of the
Pope in 1216 and later of the
Principality of Achaea in 1236. During that same period the Orthodox bishopric of the islands was abolished, the Episcopal thrones were occupied by Latins and the feudal system was put into force. The successor of Matthew,
Richard, the "most noble count of the palace and lord of Cephalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca", authenticated in 1264 the estates of the Latin bishopric of Cephalonia. During the reign of the latter Frankish ruler, Ithaca had become a refuge for pirates. The Orsini family did not only rule the Ionian Islands but also conquered
Epirus in early 14th century, thus acquiring the title of 'the despot' as well. Certain members of the family embraced the Orthodox dogma and married Greek women. After the death of
John II Orsini in 1335, the islands were occupied by the
Anjou, who, as rulers of Achaea, had the islands under their suzerainty until then. The Angevin occupation lasted until 1357, when the said Greek territory was ceded to the Italian family of the
Tocchi, who remained in power for over a century and secured unity in the governance of those three Ionian Islands. In 1357,
Robert of Taranto ceded Cephalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca to the governor of
Corfu,
Leonardo I Tocco, as reward for the services he had provided when he was a captive of the
King of Hungary. After the expansion of his dominion to Leukas, Leonardo I Tocco attempted to reinforce his position by entering into family relations with the powerful
Florentine family of the
Acciaiuoli. This policy gave the family of the Tocchi increased power, which reached its peak during the 15th century with its expansion to the continental coast, after
Carlo I Tocco conquered
Ioannina (1411) and
Arta (1416). He received the title of despot by the
Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos and maintained the Byzantine tradition. Seated in the islands of the Ionian Sea or in the acquisitions in Central Greece, the dynasty of the Tocchi attempted to win over the populations by ceding to the seigneurs, according to the
Chronicle of the Tocco, "inheritances", "estates", "kratimata" and "pronoias". An example of this is the family
Galati, who received privileges and estates from the Tocco on the island of
Ithaca. Following an analogous policy on the religious front,
Leonardo III (1448–1479), the last of the Tocchi dynasty, reinstated the Orthodox episcopal throne of Cephalonia that had been abolished by the Orsini. Venice was not pleased with the increased influence of the Tocchi. The downfall of the duchy of the Tocchi by the
Turks (1479) gave the opportunity to the Serenissima to intervene resolutely in the Ionian Sea and succeeded, through the treaty of 1484, in annexing Zakynthos and, in 1500, Cephalonia and Ithaca. ==Counts Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos==