Andreas Palaiologos

Andreas Palaiologos was a Byzantine prince in exile who claimed the imperial title after Constantinople fell and lived in Italy from 1460 until his death in 1502.

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Palaiologos dynasty: The dynasty that ruled the Byzantine Empire from 1261 until Constantinople fell in 1453. Andreas inherited his dynastic claim from this family’s imperial rule.
Pope Pius II: The pope from 1458 to 1464 who supported efforts to organize a crusade against the Ottomans. His papal court sheltered the Palaiologan family during its early years in Italy.
Byzantine succession: The practices and political contests through which authority passed among Byzantine rulers and dynastic claimants. Andreas’s title depended on inherited legitimacy after the imperial state disappeared.
Charles VIII's Italian War: The French invasion of Italy beginning in 1494, which initiated a long series of European wars on the peninsula. Andreas’s transfer of titles to Charles took place as the king prepared his Italian campaign.
Thomas Palaiologos: A Byzantine despot of the Morea and Andreas’s father, who fled to Italy after the Ottoman conquest. His exile brought Andreas into the Italian court networks where he grew up.
Pope Sixtus IV: The pope from 1471 to 1484, associated with Renaissance Rome and its political patronage. Andreas received papal support and a pension during Sixtus IV’s pontificate.
Papal States: Territories in central Italy governed by the pope as both spiritual leader and temporal ruler. Papal territory provided Andreas a place to live and a source of material support.
Kingdom of Naples: A medieval and early modern kingdom in southern Italy, contested by European dynasties. Charles VIII’s claim to Naples made Andreas’s title transfer politically useful to the French king.
Constantine XI Palaiologos: The last Byzantine emperor, killed defending Constantinople during its Ottoman conquest in 1453. His death left Andreas’s family among the dynasty’s surviving claimants.
Pope Innocent VIII: The pope from 1484 to 1492, whose court negotiated with European rulers over Ottoman policy. Andreas’s dealings with Innocent VIII included efforts to secure backing for his claims.