Gjon Kastrioti dating history

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Gjon Kastrioti ( ? - 2 or 4 May 1437) son of Pal Kastrioti, was an Albanian lord and the father of Scanderbeg. In the documentary acts of the time, Scanderbeg's father is variously called Iohannes, Janus, Iouan, Ioannis, Yuan, Ivan, Yuvan, etc. Gjon Muzaka - or Giovanni Musachi, who by the way knew him and his family well - in his Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi, written in Italian, calls him Giovanni. Giovanni is also used by Demetrio Franco. Barleti, who wrote in Latin, calls him Iohannes. In the few acts of his own chancellery, his name results Ivan or Ivan?. It is possible that these acts were written by Ninac Vukosalic. Besides the acts in Slavonic, Ivan is used by some Byzantine chroniclers, like Laonicus Chalcocondyles and many works written by the contemporary scholars. Also, interesting is a testimony from Franciscus Blancus, who lived and wrote two centuries after Gjon Kastrioti's time: In his Apology, he writes about two "heroes" of his own time from the Kastrati family, one Muslim called Isuf bey, and the other Gjon "i.e. in Latin Iohannis Kastrati". This same author, knowing the difference Gjon/Iohannis, specifically calls Skanderbeg's father by his Latin name.Kastrioti's family had its origin in Has region and ruled over Northern Albania from Kruja region up to Prizren, Tetova and Gostivar. Defeated by Murad II in 1421 he was forced to vasality and from time to time one or more of his sons were sent as a hostages to Ottoman court. This way Kastrioti, blackmailed through his sons would be faithful to the Empire. Gjon Kastrioti was made a citizen of Venice in 1413, along with his inheritors. In 1426 he donated to the Monastery of Hilandar two villages from his dominions in Gostivar; near the monastery where his son Reposh retired and died in 25 July 1431: the Saint George tower is today known as the Albanian tower (Arbanaški pirg).