Himara Revolt

Himara Revolt of 1596

Background
The Himara revolt was part of a series of revolts from Epirus up to Šibenik.

History
Athanasius, the Archbishop of Ohrid, sought to end Ottoman rule and contacted the Venetians, meeting with Angelo Basadonna, the provveditore of Corfu, in Butrint. The Venetians and Spanish refused to help. In 1596, a source stated that there were 10,000 fighters in red costumes in Himara. As he did not receive the aid he asked for, he travelled to Naples, where he was unsuccessful. He then visited the Pope in Rome, where he asked for aid in the organization of an uprising in Macedonia.

Athanasius went back to Albania in the summer of 1596, and stayed in Himara. On August 23, 1596 he met with Albanian captains Michael Bua, Giovanni Golemi and Michael Papada. They each received a monthly pay of 50 ducats. They then went to Lecie to arm the Himariotes with 1,000 arquebuses, powder, lead, four drums and four royal banners (insegne del Re). The Cypriot Hieronimo Combi discouraged Michael Bua and his companions.