The coat of arms of the Genoan Alberghi, Giustiniani.Mavi Boncuk |
A maona (Arabic: معونة ma‘ūnah 'help', Arabic: معاونة mu‘āwanah 'mutual help') or Societas comperarum was a medieval Italian association of investors formed to manage the purchased shares (loca or partes) of the revenue due to the relevant city-state through tax farming; the shares were individually sold to wealthy merchants, but the collection could be difficult and so these merchants would band together.
Historically the most famous Maona was that of Chios. The Genoese authorities of Chios and their Greek subjects (who constituted the majority of island’s population - 80%) were subjects of the Republic of Genoa. Initially, many of the Mahona associates and therefore members of the island’s administration were citizens as well as inhabitants of Genoa. The members of the company for more than two centuries were entitled to the revenues deriving from the natural or economic resources of the island. In return they had to pay an annual tribute to Genoa.
After two years, the original shareholders that lived in Genoa sold their shares to some colonists that already lived in Chios or to some Genoese citizens that migrated to the island. These new members constituted the New Mahona that was also subsequently became known as the Mahona (or Maona) of the Giustiniani. Since the Republic was unable to redeem the island from the Giustiniani, Chios remained in their possession till its final fall to the Turks. In the mean-time the Mahonesi had to pay tributes to Genoa, at the beginning to the Byzantine emperor John V Palaiologos in 1363 and finally to the Turks.
The Justinians with their Maona governed Chios, appointing a commissioner and commanding 52 military Genuates in the island: during these years (1346-1566), the trade revived and the island enjoyed huge prosperity. The Mahona of Chios ended its activities in 1566 when the Turks invaded and occupied the island. Piale Pasha annexed it to the Ottoman empire in 1566. The sultan had a good pretext for putting an end to the government of the Justiniani, for the island served as a place of refuge for fugitive slaves, and of refreshment for Christian corsairs.
The model proved successful and in 1373 the Genoese also founded the "Maona Vecchia di Cipro" in Cyprus.
The libro d’Oro of Genoa contains some of the Chian families of Greek descent, registered with the 28 Alberghi associations that could participate in the Republic’s administration after 1528. These families had acquired blood relations with some of the noble Genoese family by intermarriage.