Kingdom of Thessalonica: Map & History
The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State established as a vassal of the Latin Empire following the Fourth Crusade.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The Kingdom of Thessalonica was a short-lived Crusader State established as a vassal of the Latin Empire following the Fourth Crusade. It was formed from the partition of Byzantine lands in today's territory of Northern Greece with Thessaloniki as its capital. The kingdom faced continual pressure from neighboring powers and it collapsed after being conquered by the Despotate of Epirus in 1224.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Thessalonica
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Thessalonica covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Thessalonica's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Thessalonica in Depth
History
After the Sack of Constantinople to the crusaders in 1204, Boniface of Montferrat, the leader of the crusade, hoped to become the new emperor. The Venetians, however, viewed him as ambitious, noted his ties to their rival Genoa, and were wary of his family's connections to the Byzantine court, his brother Conrad of Montferrat had married into the imperial dynasty. The Venetians, instead, voted for Baldwin of Flanders, who was elected as emperor of the new Latin Empire.
Boniface was assigned to a large fief in Anatolia, but he, wanting a fief in Europe, demanded Thessalonica, the second-largest Byzantine city after Constantinople.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Thessalonica (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Thessalonica: Key Facts
| Capital | Thessaloniki |
|---|---|
| Official language | Lombard |
| Religion | Catholic Church |
| Founded | 1204 |
| Dissolved | 1224 |
Facts from Wikidata Q325461 (CC0).
Kingdom of Thessalonica Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 33,116 km² in 1212 CE.
Kingdom of Thessalonica: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Thessalonica exist?
The Kingdom of Thessalonica is dated to 1206 CE – 1226 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Thessalonica?
The capital of the Kingdom of Thessalonica was Thessalonica.
How large was the Kingdom of Thessalonica at its peak?
At its peak in 1212 AD the Kingdom of Thessalonica covered about 33,116 km².
Other Sovereign Realms
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Avarga
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Cusco
High & Late Middle Ages • Capital: Niani, Kangaba