The House of Damalas ( Damalades; , pl. , female version Damala; ) is a Genoese-Byzantine noble House established in the late 15th century; with roots originating from the island of Chios during the Genoese occupation. Created as a result of intermarriages among the Imperial House of Palaiologos with the Genoese noble House of Zaccaria.
There is also an unrelated Byzantine family named Damalas/Damalis, which is seen as early as 1230 in the Thracesian Theme of the Eastern Roman Empire. Descendants of this unrelated family were also settled in Chios as well as Kos.
Damalà as a title
The Zaccaria use of "Damalà" as a title begins with Martino Zaccaria, then Lord of Chios and the surrounding Aegean, receiving the Barony of Damala in 1315. Martino had two sons, Bartolomeo and Centurione. Bartolomeo died in 1334, leading Centurione to inherit his older brother's title of "Seigneur de Damala"; which he held since 1317. He was also given control of his father's other possessions in Morea sometime during Martino's imprisonment. This began the dynastic struggle of the local baronies on the death of Philip of Taranto.
In thirteenth and fourteenth century France, a Baron was a lower member of the nobility. In the Principality of Achaea however, Barons were high lords. As such, they held their authority directly from the Prince and the principality consisted of twelve large baronies.
By supporting Roberto, son of Filippo, Centurione obtained the recognition of his sovereignty and the confirmation of his rights; violated several times in the past by the Angioni princes. His father Martino had continued the system of alliances through the marriages of his own children. Bartolomeo married Guglielma Pallavicino, who had brought the Marquisate of Bodonitsa as a dowry. Centurione married the daughter of the Epitropos of Morea, Andronikos Asen, son of Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen III and Irene Palaiogina. This marriage linked the Zaccaria to the Imperial house of Bulgaria and strengthened the relation to the Palaiologoi over the marriage of his great-grandfather, Benedetto. It ultimately consolidated the aims of the family as a princely dynasty.
After spending eight years in captivity for defying the emperor, Martino was released from his imprisonment. This was only permissible upon the condition that he swear an oath to remain in Genoa; through the intervention of Pope Benedict XII and Philip VI of France in 1337. He swore to never again, by word or deed, oppose the empire. He was treated favorably by the emperor, whom gave him the military command of "Protokomes of Chios", as well as a few castles as compensation for his losses. This command would be succeeded by his second son Centurione.
The Zaccaria gained imperial favor once again, with Martino fighting to retake coastal lands of Anatolia; but this crusade ended with his demise in 1345. Upon his father's death, Centurione officially inherited the barony of Chalandritsa, the command of Protocomes of Chios, and the fortresses of Stamira and Lysaria; which he later strengthened with the marriage of his son Andronikos with the only daughter of the powerful baron of Arcadia and Saint-Sauveur, Erard III Le Maure.
These improved relations with the Byzantines were cultivated by Centurione, with his return to Chios as Protocome. He reclaimed his paternal estates and jointly exploited the lands of Chios and Phocea with a few Genoese nobles whom the emperor had entrusted. These were the Ziffo, Corressi, Argenti, Agelasto.
The Genoese repossession of Chios
Imperial rule in Chios was brief. In 1346, a chartered company controlled by the Giustiniani called "Maona di Chio e di Focea", was set up in Genoa to reconquer and exploit Chios and the neighboring town of Phocaea in Asia Minor. Although the inhabitants firmly rejected an initial offer of protection, the island was invaded by a Genoese fleet; led by Simone Vignoso the castle was besieged.
Centurione did not wait for the arrival of the diplomats, sent by the Empress Anna in order to negotiate with those under Admiral Vignoso. He mounted a resistance to the siege, however after several months, had to surrender the island to prevent starvation as a result of their naval blockade; though he did not sign a capitulation. Prior to the surrender being formalized, drafted by I.N. of Agios Nikolaos, he escaped with a few of his sailors and headed for Byzantine territory in New Phocaea; in order to organize an operation to retake the island of Chios. The Byzantine defenders surrendered though on 12 September 1346.