{{Short description|Italian diplomat in the service of the Mongols}} '''Isol the Pisan''', also known as '''Ciolo Bofeti di Anastasio''' or '''Zolus Bofeti de Anestasio''' ([[floruit|fl.]] 1300), was an Italian merchant, diplomat, and military leader. For some time he resided at the court of the [[Mongol]] [[Ilkhan]], [[Ghazan]], in [[Persia]], rising to become his ambassador or liaison<ref>Richard, p. 456</ref> to the [[Kingdom of Cyprus]]. His high status at Ghazan's court may stem from his being the [[godparent|godfather]] of [[Öljeitü]] at the latter's [[baptism]].<ref name=sinor>Sinor, 535–6.</ref>
Little is known about Isol, but the French historian [[Jean Richard (historian)|Jean Richard]] concluded that he was probably the governor of a Persian province.<ref>Roux, 410.</ref> In a letter dated 20 September 1300 from Pope Boniface to the [[Archbishop of Nicosia]], Isol was titled "Vicar of Syria and the Holy Land for Ghazan the Emperor of the Tartars",<ref>Original [[Latin language|Latin]]: ''Vicarius Siriae ac Terrae Sanctae a Casano imperatore Tartarorum institutus''.</ref> suggesting that he was put in charge of coordinating relations between the [[Crusader states]] and the Mongols.<ref>Richard, ''Histoire des Croisades'', 481.</ref><ref>Schein, 815.</ref> Isol is also a probable source for some of the information about Europe in the "History of the World" chronicle by the Mongol historian [[Rashid-al-Din Hamadani]].<ref>Richard, ''Histoire des Croisades'', 469.</ref>
In 1300, Isol acted as an intermediary between Ghazan and European leaders such as [[Henry II of Cyprus]] and [[Pope Boniface VIII]]. This is mentioned in a letter dated 2 July 1300 written from [[Barcelona]] by [[Romeu de Marimundo]], counsellor of [[James II of Aragon]]: <blockquote> From the Tatars, the king of Armenia, the king of Cyprus, the Great Master of the Templars or other nobles from Outremer, are arriving ambassadors on a visit to the Pope. They are already in Apulia and should reach the Pope in the next few days.<ref name=demurger>Demurger, 146.</ref> </blockquote>
Isol was also present as the Mongol representative in July 1300 aboard a small Cypriot fleet of sixteen [[galley]]s which were attacking [[Rosetta]] and other targets along the Palestinian coast.<ref name=sinor/><ref>Demurger, 147.</ref>
==Notes== {{reflist}}
==References== *[[Alain Demurger|Demurger, Alain]] (2007). ''Jacques de Molay''. Editions Payot. *[[Jean Richard (historian)|Richard, Jean]] (1970). "Isol le Pisan: Un aventurier franc gouverneur d'une province mongole?" ''Central Asiatic Journal'', '''14''': 186–94. *Richard, Jean. ''Histoire des Croisades''. Fayard. *Schein, Sylvia (1979). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/565554 "Gesta Dei per Mongolos 1300. The Genesis of a Non-Event."] ''[[English Historical Review]]'', '''94''':373 (October), pp. 805–819. *Sinor, Denis (1975). [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx?type=turn&entity=History.CrusThree.p0551&isize=M&q1=isol "The Mongols and Western Europe."] ''A History of the Crusades III: The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries'', Harry W. Hazard, ed. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. *M. Balard, “''Génois et Pisans en Orient (fin du XIIIe-début du XIVe siècle)''”, in Atti Società ligure di storia patria, n.s. Vol. XXIV (XCVIII), fasc. II, Genova, Società ligure di storia patria, [1984], pp. 179–209. *M. Chiaverini, "''Il ‘Porto Pisano’ alla foce del Don tra il XIII e XIV secolo''", Pisa, MARICH, 2000, pp. 51–52.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isol The Pisan}} [[Category:Italian explorers]] [[Category:Christians of the Crusades]] [[Category:Year of birth unknown]] [[Category:People from Pisa]] [[Category:14th-century Italian businesspeople]] [[Category:14th-century Italian diplomats]] [[Category:14th-century explorers]]