Francesco II Acciaioli

Francesco II Acciaioli
Nerio II as depicted in a late-17th-century book
Duke of Athens
Reign	1455 – 1458
Predecessor	Francesco I Acciaioli
Successor	John II of Aragon (titular)
Died	1460 (1461)
House	Acciaioli
Father	Antonio II Acciaioli
Mother	Maria Zorzi

Francesco II Acciaioli (died 1460), called Franco, was the last Duke of Athens. He was the son of Duke Antonio II Acciaioli and Maria Zorzi but had only ruled for two years (1455–1456) when the Turkish army under Turahanoğlu Ömer Bey 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.

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.

References

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