Creation In the late spring of 1359,
Nikephoros II Orsini, the last
despot of Epirus of the Orsini dynasty, fought against the Albanians near river
Acheloos,
Aetolia. The Albanians won the
battle under
Karl Thopia and managed to create two new states in the southern territories of the Despotate of Epirus. Because a number of Albanian lords actively supported the successful Serbian campaign in Thessaly and Epirus, the Serbian self-proclaimed Emperor of Serbs and Greeks, Simeon Uroš, granted them specific regions and offered them the Byzantine title of despotes in order to secure their loyalty. By the late 1360s, two Albanian principalities had emerged: the first with its capital in
Arta under
Pjetër Losha, and the second, centered in
Angelokastron, under
Gjin Bua Shpata. After the death of Pjetër Losha in 1374, the Albanian despotates of Arta and Angelocastron were united under the rule of Gjin Bua Shpata. On April 1378 the
Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller,
Juan Fernández de Heredia set about to take Arta but failed and was captured in battle by Gjin Bua Shpata. Herendia was sold by Shpata to the Ottoman Turks for a huge prize.
Thomas II Preljubović, the Despot of Epirus offered valuable help during the battle, however this alliance didn't last for long. The territory of this despotate at its greatest extent (1374–1403) was from the
Corinth Gulf to
Acheron River in the North, neighboring with the
Principality of Gjirokastër of
Gjon Zenebishi, another state created in the area of the
Despotate of Epirus. The Despotate of Epirus managed to control in this period only the eastern part of
Epirus, with its capital in
Ioannina. During this period the Despot of Epirus Thomas II Preljubović was in an open conflict with Gjin Shpata. In 1375, Gjin Bua Shpata started an offensive in
Ioannina, but he could not invade the city. Although Shpata married with Thomas' sister, Helena, their war did not stop.
Fall of the Despotate After the death of Gjin Bua Shpata in 1399, the Despotate of Arta weakened continuously, and the
Shpata family was involved in civil war. Among the animosities with the rulers of
Ioannina Gjin's successor,
Muriq Shpata, had to deal with the intentions of the
Venetians and of
Count Carlo I Tocco of
Cefalonia. Meanwhile,
Ottoman incursions were intensified as they were occasionally called by despot
Esau de' Buondelmonti of the
Despotate of Epirus. After the death of de' Buondelmonti in 1411, the throne was offered to his nephew,
Carlo I Tocco. Even though his gain was accompanied by a great loss that the forces of Gjon Zenebishi's inflicted upon his army, he would later subject the leaders of southern Albania. In spite of Muriq's victory over Carlo in 1412, the Albanians failed to take Ioannina. On the contrary, not long after killing Muriq in battle in 1414–1415, Carlo advanced on Arta. In 1416, he defeated
Jakob Bua Shpata and conquered Arta thus annexing the Despotate. ==Local legacy==