Editing History of Albania (section)

=== High Middle Ages ===
{{Main|Albanian principalities|League of Lezhë|Kingdom of Albania (medieval)}}

[[File:Palazzo Reale di Napoli - Carlo I d%27Angiò.jpg|196x196px|thumb|[[Charles I of Naples]] established '''Regnum Albaniae''' (Kingdom of Albania) |left]]After the fall of the [[Principality of Arber]] in territories captured by the [[Despotate of Epirus]], the [[Kingdom of Albania (medieval)|Kingdom of Albania]] was established by [[Charles I of Naples|Charles of Anjou]]. He took the title of King of [[Albania]] in February 1272. The kingdom extended from the region of Durrës (then known as Dyrrhachium) south along the coast to Butrint. After the failure of the Eighth Crusade, Charles of Anjou returned his attention to Albania. He began contacting local Albanian leaders through local catholic clergy. Two local Catholic priests, namely John from Durrës and Nicola from Arbanon, acted as negotiators between Charles of Anjou and the local noblemen. During 1271 they made several trips between Albania and Italy eventually succeeding in their mission.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book|title = Historia e popullit shqiptar në katër vëllime (in Albanian)|last = Prifti|first = Skënder|year = 2002|isbn = 978-99927-1-622-9|location = Albania|page = 207}}</ref>
On 21 February 1272, a delegation of Albanian noblemen and citizens from Durrës made their way to Charles' court. Charles signed a treaty with them and was proclaimed King of Albania "by common consent of the bishops, counts, barons, soldiers and citizens" promising to protect them and to honor the privileges they had from Byzantine Empire.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Despotate of Epiros 1267–1479: A Contribution to the History of Greece in the Middle Ages|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=XIj0FfKto9AC|publisher = Cambridge University Press|date = 1984-01-01|isbn = 9780521261906|first = Donald M.|last = Nicol}}</ref> The treaty declared the union between the Kingdom of Albania (Latin: ''Regnum Albanie'') with the Kingdom of Sicily under King Charles of Anjou (''Carolus I, dei gratia rex Siciliae et Albaniae'').<ref name=":3" /> He appointed Gazzo Chinardo as his Vicar-General and hoped to take up his expedition against Constantinople again. Throughout 1272 and 1273 he sent huge provisions to the towns of Durrës and Vlorë. This alarmed the Byzantine Emperor, Michael VIII Palaiologos, who began sending letters to local Albanian nobles, trying to convince them to stop their support for Charles of Anjou and to switch sides. However, the Albanian nobles placed their trust on Charles, who praised them for their loyalty. Throughout its existence the Kingdom saw armed conflict with the Byzantine empire. The kingdom was reduced to a small area in Durrës. Even before the city of Durrës was captured, it was landlocked by Karl Thopia's principality. Declaring himself as Angevin descendant, with the capture of [[Durrës]] in 1368 [[Karl Topia|Karl Thopia]] created the [[Principality of Albania (medieval)|Princedom of Albania]]. During its existence Catholicism saw rapid spread among the population which affected the society as well as the architecture of the Kingdom. A [[Manorialism|Western type of feudalism]] was introduced and it replaced the Byzantine [[Pronoia]].