Notes on Historical Geography of 14th–15th Century Genoese Gazaria. Chembalo Consulate

Abstract

The author determines the territorial boundaries of the Genoese domain in the Crimea – Chembalo Consulate. The transition of the town of Chembalo and its rural surrounding area from the jurisdiction of the Golden Horde under the control of the Genoese Republic occurred between 1344 and 1357. The network of rural settlements of the Consulate was established in the earlier Byzantine period and passed on to the Genoese in its final appearance. The rural neighbourhood of the town stretched 30 kilometres from the north-west to the south-east from Sevastopol Bay to Cape Sarych and 12–16 kilometres inside the peninsula from the seashore. By the time of inclusion in 1340s-1350s the rural area of Chembalo included the entire territory of Heracles Peninsula with the southern mountainous part of Sevastopol Bay, Chernorechenskaya valley along the left riverbank, a part of Baidarskaya valley south-west of the river (or the entire Baidarskaya valley) and the Chaban-Tash mountains. The borders changed in the second quarter of 15th century after the Genoese-Theodoro war of 1433–1434. After the capture of Chembalo by Grand Duke Alexei in February of 1433 the entire territory of the Consulate came under the control of Teodoro for over a year. The Genoese reclaimed these territories in 1434 after a military campaign headed by Carlo Lomellini. In the same period they captured the Theodoro town of Calamita. In 1441 the Caffa community handed Calamita together with Chersonesus and the territory of the Heracles Peninsula over to the Theodoro principality. After these events the territory of the Genoese Chembalo Consulate remained unchanged until it was captured by the Ottoman army in 1475.

Keywords

• archaeology
• historical geography
• The Genoese Republic
• Genoese Gazaria
• the Golden Horde
• Theodoro principality
• Caffa
• Chembalo
• Consulate