County of Salona

Among the regions that the Latin king of Thessalonika Boniface of Monferrat conquered during his campaign in south Greece (1205) was Salona (la Sole, la Sola), on the site of ancient Amphissa, near Delphi. The first count of Salona was Thomas I d' Autremoncourt (1204-1210), who built a castle on top of the fortifications of the ancient acropolis. Around 1210, Salona came temporarily under the rule of the despot of Epirus, Michael I Komnenos Doukas (1204-1215). The county of Salona came early under the rule of the prince of Achaia. Later, in 1278, the count of Salona appeared as vassal of the grand seigneur of Athens. However, the dependence of the region on the principality of Achaia continued until 1311, when the count of Salona Thomas III d' Autremoncourt (1294-1311) got killed in the battle against the Catalans at Orchomenos, in Copais.

From 1318, the county came under the rule of the Catalan family Fadrique. In May 1380 the region was conquered by the Navarrese Company and until 1394 ruled the Byzantine countess Helena Kantakouzene. When Helena died in 1394, the county came under the Turkish sultan Vayazit I and later the despot of Mistra, Theodore I Palaiologos (1384-1407) became the representative of the county. However, he did not have the power to keep it and hence sold it in 1403 to the Knights Hospitallers. Finally, the region came under the Turks in 1410.

During the period of the Catalan rule a castellan, had settled in the region and was specially responsible for the protection of the castle of Salona and the maintenance of its military equipment. The county was governed on the basis of the Catalan legislation, the Customs of Barcelona. The Catalans possibly imposed the Catalan language (llengua catalana) as the official language in Salona. Before 1327, they annexed to the county of Salona Loidoriki and Vitrinitza. The latter functioned in the county as an independent fief and maintained its own castellan.