Cantacuzino family
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The Cantacuzino or Cantacuzène family is a princely family of Wallachia and Moldavia, a branch of the Greek Kantakouzinos family, descended from the Byzantine Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus. The genealogical link between Byzantine Greek and Romanian Cantacuzinos have been extensively documented.[1] In Russia, the family received princely (Knyaz) status. In 1944, Prince Ștefan Cantacuzino settled in Sweden, where his descendants form part of the unintroduced nobility of the country.[2]
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[edit] Origin of the family
The origin of the Byzantine Kantakouzenos family can be traced back to Smyrna. The name allegedly originates in a corruption of the Greek language phrase identifying their estates on a mountain just outside of Smyrna.
[edit] Origin of the Romanian branch
The Greek Kantakouzenos family had been active in Constantinople, Greece and the Greek war of independence,[3] however several branches of the original Greek family were created via the migrations and establishment of Kantakouzenos family members to different parts of Europe. One of those new branches was the Romanian (Wallachian and Moldavian) Cantacuzino as well as the Russian branch (which is an offshoot of the Moldavian branch). As a consequence of the Russian Revolution and the Soviet occupation of Romania after World War II, the last two branches now mostly live in Western Europe and North America.[1][verification needed]
According to Jean-Michel Cantacuzène, the origin of the Cantacuzino family in Romania is traced to Andronikos Kantakouzenos (d 1601), Greek financier from Constantinople, son of the "Prince of the Greeks" Michael Kantakouzenos.[1] Andronikos had among his several sons two who became boyars in what today is Romania and founded yet-surviving branches of Cantacuzino:
- boyar Georgios 'Iordaki' Kantakouzenos became forefather of the Moldavian branch, whoch soon branched to Cantacuzino-Deleanu and Cantacuzino-Pasceanu.
- boyar Konstantinos 'Kostaki' Kantakouzenos married an heiress (daughter) of the deceased reigning prince Radu Șerban, onetime ruler of Valachia, and they founded the Valachian branches which soon clashed against the Ghika family over power.
[edit] Notable members
- Constantin Cantacuzino, World War II flying ace
- Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino, Prime Minister of Romania
- Ioan Cantacuzino, physician and scientist
- Pârvu Cantacuzino, Ban of Oltenia, the leader of an anti-Ottoman rebellion in 1769
- Şerban Cantacuzino, Voivode of Wallachia
- Ştefan Cantacuzino, Voivode of Wallachia
- Prince Mikhail Cantacuzène, Count Spiransky: Russian Representative to the U.S. 1892-1895; Russian representative to Rome 1895-1899; aide-de-camp to Nicholas II, last Tsar of Russia 1900-1917
- Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant granddaughter of US President Ulysses S. Grant, author, wife of Prince Mikhail Cantacuzène
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Jean-Michel Cantacuzène, Mille ans dans les Balkans Éditions Christian Paris (1992) ISBN 2-86496-054-0.
- ^ http://www.svd.se/kultur/utlandska-slakter-med-stamtavla_416401.svd
- ^ http://www.agiasofia.com/1821/fort1821/struggle3.html
[edit] External links
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