Back Николай Орсини Bulgarian Nicolau I Orsini Catalan Nikola Orsini German Νικόλαος Ορσίνι Greek Nicolás Orsini Spanish Niccolò Orsini French Nicolao Orsini Galician Nicola d'Epiro Italian ニコーラ・オルシーニ Japanese Nikolas Orsini NB
| Nicholas Orsini | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Despot of Epirus | |
| Reign | 1318–1323 |
| Predecessor | Thomas Komnenos Doukas |
| Successor | John II Orsini |
| Count palatine of Cephalonia | |
| Reign | 1317–1323 |
| Predecessor | John I Orsini |
| Successor | John II Orsini |
| Died | 1323 |
| Spouse | Anna Palaiologina |
| Dynasty | Orsini ('apostolic' branch) |
| Father | John I Orsini |
| Mother | Maria Komnene Doukaina |
Nicholas Orsini (Italian: Nicolò Orsini;[1] Greek: Νικόλαος Ορσίνι, romanized: Nikolaos Orsini) was a Greek–Italian nobleman who was count palatine of Cephalonia from 1317 to 1323 and ruler of southern Epirus around Arta from 1318 to 1323. The son of Count John I Orsini and Maria, an Epirote princess, he succeeded his father upon the latter's death, and in the next year murdered his uncle, Thomas Komnenos Doukas, and usurped his rule of Epirus. While able to secure his control over southern Epirus, however, the north with the city of Ioannina were taken over by the Byzantine Empire. Nicholas' attempts to ally with the Republic of Venice and recover Ioannina failed, and he was in turn killed by his brother John II Orsini in 1323.