The Mahona convention between the commune of Genoa and the ship-owners of Vignoso’s expedition.

After the absolute success of Vignoso’s expedition, the commerce of the eastern Mediterranean was gradually falling to the hands of the Genoese that needed to safeguard their colonies in the Black Sea and Pera. Moreover, in the eyes of the catholic Christian world, the Genoese had saved a Christian island from the Infidel. For these reasons, admiral Vignoso was received back in Genoa on 9 November 1346 with great honour for his triumphant expedition. However, soon after the completion of the reception that the State of Genoa had organized, the ship-owners that had participated in the expedition requested from the government some kind of refund for their personal expenses and a compensation for their loses they had suffered plus the interest rate due to them. They estimated the sum of 250,000 lire plus any further reward to the discretion of the Doge and the Council. Their proposal was rejected unconditionally and after tedious discussions an agreement was reached that took the form of a convention between the Commune of Genoa and the ship-owners. The agreement was signed on 26 February 1347 under which the participants were granted the exploitation of the lands of Chios and Phocaea which they had conquered. This agreement led to the organization of the first Mahona chartered company of Chios between the State, the association of ship-owners and a private commercial company and other public elements.

The Mahona of Chios was initiated, because the Genoese government -due to the lessening of funds and revenues- was unable to defend its colonies abroad and protect the interests of its citizens. It was an institution suitable to satisfy the interests of both main participating parties. The Mahonesi were supposed to derive their profits from the taxes and commercial revenues as well as from the agricultural and industrial exploitation of the island. On the other hand, the Genoese State had the privilege to maintain an excellent naval and commercial base for its expedition and colonies in the Black Sea and to have under its control a fertile island without having to pay under normal condition for the maintenance and administration of it. All the income deriving from the exploitation of the island went to the Mahonesi in return for their previous capital expenditure and as interest on the dept that the State had to pay to them, which also had the form of a reward for the political services offered to the Commune of Genoa.

It was expected that the Byzantines would not allow the Genoese to remain in undisputed possession of Chios and when in February 1347, John VI Cantacuzene came in power showed great determination to regain all the Imperial possessions in an attempt to obtain more revenues for his treasury. The financial benefits deriving from the exploitation of Chios plus some old political differences between the Genoese and the Byzantines pushed the emperor to send an embassy to Genoa so as to demand the restoration of Chios. The Genoese government admitted that it had no right to the island, but claimed that its forces were not adequate to drive out the Mahonesi. The occupation of Chios according to the Genoese was a result of private action and the State was forced to grant the possession of the island for limited time to these citizens involved in the expedition. These arguments failed to impress the emperor that brought into play the Treaty of Nymphaeum by which the Genoese government had promised to avoid warlike actions against the Empire.

An agreement was finally reached that recognized the Emperor’s sovereignty over Chios without altering the rights of the Genoese Commune in the island that regarded Chios as imperum merum et mixtum (meaning pure and mixed at the same time, oxymoron) creating thus a hierarchy consisting of the Byzantine Emperor, the Genoese Commune and the Mahona. The emperor agreed to allow the Mahonesi to remain in possession of the town of the island for 10 years under the condition to pay him an annual tribute of 12,000 perperi and flow his flag from the forts. The rest of the island was agreed to belong to the emperor and be governed by a Prefect loyal to the empire, although the Mahona could take advantage of the island revenues. The Greek Orthodox Bishop had to be always appointed by the Patriarch and emperor’s name had to be mentioned in all liturgies. Finally, the legal differences had to be resolved by both Greek and Genoese judges acting together as a unique body of justice.

The agreement was not happily received by Vignoso and new arguments started involving Calojanni Cibo, who took military action against the Genoese declaring his loyalty to the Emperor. Cibo besieged the town and the Genoese were forced to withdraw within the walls. They suffered a lot of serious casualties and Vignoso was wounded. The Mahonesi obtained reinforcements by sea and during the resulting fights Cibo was killed by an arrow in his heart, an event which actually ended the assault against the Genoese. Meanwhile, Venice had started its reaction against the tendency of the Genoese to monopolize Near Eastern trade by possessing Chios, Kaffa, Phocaea and Pera (see map 2).

Hostilities soon broke out in the Aegean between the two adversaries also involving from the part of Venice Peter IV the King of Aragon and the emperor John VI Cantacuzene. In October 1350 a Genoese fleet sacked the port of Chalkis ruled by the Venetians and a Venetian fleet attacked Chios soon after that event. In April1351, the Venetians attacked the Genoese colony of Pera accompanied by an envoy that followed their fleet that proposed to the emperor to ally against Genoa. After the withdrawal of the Venetians, the Genoese bombarded Constantinople and the emperor accepted an alliance with Venice which was concluded in May 1351. The emperor therefore thought himself justified in regaining the island by force and he provided his support to the Venetians under the condition that if Chios was to be captured it should be returned to the empire. The Venetians refused to assist the emperor with the re-conquest of Chios, because in the meantime they had allied with the Genoese to combat the Turks.