Francesco II Acciajouli (died 1460), called "Franco", was the last Duke of Athens. He was the son of Duke Antonio II Acciajouli but had only ruled for two years (1455–1456) when the Turkish army of Sultan Mehmed II arrived in Athens. The duke and his citizens hid themselves in the Acropolis and held out against the Turks until June 1458, when they were forced to surrender. Mehmed II entered Athens in August 1458, and allowed Franco to retain lordship of Thebes as his vassal. Franco also reportedly became one of Mehmed's many lovers. Events The first Portuguese navigators reach the coast of modern Sierra Leone. ... The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade. ... Events February 9 - Wars of the Roses: Richard, Duke of York dismissed as Protector February 23 - Johannes Gutenberg prints the first Bible on a printing press May 22 - Wars of the Roses: First Battle of St Albans - Richard, Duke of York and his ally, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick defeat... Events July 7 - Joan of Arc acquitted (but she had already been executed). ... Mehmed II Mehmed II, also known as Muhammed II (March 30, 1432 – May 3, 1481; nicknamed el-Fatih, the Conqueror) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to 1446, and later from 1451 to 1481. ... The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the hill of the Pnyx to the west The Acropolis of Athens, seen from the north, with the restored Stoa of Attalus in the foreground The south wall of the Acropolis of Athens, seen from the Theatre of Dionysus The Acropolis of Athens, seen... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Events January 24 - Hungary Foundation of Magdalen College, University of Oxford George of Podebrady becomes king of Bohemia Pope Pius II becomes pope Turks sack the Acropolis Births Jacopo Sannazaro, Italian poet Deaths June 27 - Alfonso V of Aragon August 6 - Pope Callixtus III Marques de Santillana, Spanish poet Categories... For the ancient capital of Upper Egypt, see Thebes, Egypt. ...

In 1460, Mehmed was informed by his Janissaries of a plot to place Franco once more in Athens. Franco was summoned to the Morea by Zaganos Pasha, one of the sultan's governors. After a long night of entertainment, Zaganos Pasha told Franco that his last hour had struck. Franco's last request was to be killed in his own tent, which was honored. The Janissaries (or janizaries; in Turkish: Yeniçeri, meaning New Troops) comprised infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans household troops and bodyguard. ... The Morea and surrounding states carved from the Byzantine Empire, as they were in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911) The name Morea (Μωρέας) for Peloponnesos first appears in the 10th century in Byzantine chronicles. ...

The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade. ...

Sources

• Babinger, Franz. Mehmed der Eroberer und seine Zeit, 1953.