After Thomas's death in 1465, the children moved to Rome, where they were initially taken care of by Cardinal Bessarion and were provided with money and housing by the papacy.
The money provided by the papacy was gradually cut back and Manuel eventually left Rome in 1474 in order to seek his fortune by offering military service to various nobles and rulers in Europe, including Galeazzo Maria Sforza of Milan and Charles the Bold of Burgundy.
Disappointed with the offers he received, and with the papacy cutting the money back further, Manuel surprised the establishment in Rome by travelling to Constantinople in 1476 and throwing himself on the mercy of the Sultan Mehmed II, who had conquered the city 23 years earlier.
Thomas's courtiers had complained that his pension had barely been enough to sustain his household and reducing it to this extent for his sons made their financial situations difficult.
[9] Thus, the young prince left Rome in early 1474 to travel around Europe and seek his fortune, offering his services to various rulers and nobles.
In November, Manuel was at Milan, where he offered Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza to enter Milanese service in some military capacity.
[12] In despair of this financial situation, and knowing that he would not receive satisfactory offers in Western Europe, Manuel again left Rome in the spring of 1476 at the age of 21.
[11] In contrast to his reception in Milan and Vaudémont, Mehmed generously received Manuel and provided him with an estate, income (a military salary of 100 aspers a day)[11] and a pair of female concubines.
[16] English historian Steven Runciman writes that Andreas took the Muslim name Mehmet Pasha and served as a court official in Constantinople.