The House of Frankopan ( hr, Frankopani, Frankapani, it, Frangipani, hu, Frangepán, la, Frangepanus, Francopanus), was a

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

n noble family, whose members were among the great landowner magnates and high officers of the Kingdom of Croatia in union with Hungary. The Frankopans, along with the Zrinskis, are among the most important and most famous Croatian noble families who, from the 11th to the 17th century, were very closely connected with the history, past and destiny of the Croatian people and Croatia. For centuries, members of these noble clans were the bearers and defenders of Croatia against the Ottomans, but also resolute opponents of the increasingly dangerous Habsburg imperial absolutism and German hegemony, which in the spirit of European mercantilism sought to consolidate throughout the Habsburg Monarchy. The past of these two clans is intertwined with marital ties, friendships and participation in almost all significant events in Croatia, especially on the battlefields in the defense of Croatia from the Ottoman conqueror.

History

The Frankopan family was one of the leading Croatian aristocratic families from the 12th to the 17th century. Since the 15th century they were trying to link themselves to the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

patrician Frangipani family (which claimed descent from a

plebeian In ancient Rome, the plebeians (also called plebs) were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words " commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins ...

family of

Anicii The gens Anicia (or the Anicii) was a plebeian family at ancient Rome, mentioned first towards the end of the fourth century BC. The first of the Anicii to achieve prominence under the Republic was Lucius Anicius Gallus, who conducted the war agai ...

and ended in 1654 with Mario Frangipane being its last male descendant). However '' Croatian Encyclopedia'', '' Italian Encyclopedia'' and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

''Biographical Lexicon of the History of Southeastern Europe'' by the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies highly question the bloodline connection between the two families and remind of the common fashion of medieval noble families in Europe to try and connect themselves to ancient Roman nobility. Along with the members of the

Zrinski Zrinski () was a Croatian- Hungarian noble family, a cadet branch of the Croatian noble tribe of Šubić, influential during the period in history marked by the Ottoman wars in Europe in the Kingdom of Croatia's union with the Kingdom of Hun ...

family the Frankopan ranked high in terms of importance by virtue of power, wealth, fame, glory and role in Croatian and Hungarian history. The first known member of Croatian lineage of the Frankopan family was Dujam I Krčki (''Doymus Veglenfis'' in Latin sources that also attribute the title of comes to him), lord of Krk who received permission by Domenico Michieli,

Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ; vec, Doxe de Venexia ; it, Doge di Venezia ; all derived from Latin ', "military leader"), sometimes translated as Duke (compare the Italian '), was the chief magistrate and leader of the Republic of Venice between 726 ...

from 1118 to 1130, to rule the island of Krk as

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerai ...

of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia ...

. His exact origin is unknown, but he and his descendants were referred to as the Counts of Krk in historical documents. In 1221, the brothers Henry and Servidon Frankopan received the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula and

Lastovo Lastovo (; it, Lagosta, german: Augusta, la, Augusta Insula, el, Ladestanos, Illyrian: ''Ladest'') is an island municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The municipality consists of 46 islands with a total population of 792 p ...

as a gift from King Andrew II of Hungary for their services. In 1428 Nikola IV Krčki (

Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...

from 1426 to 1432) was the first of the Counts of Krk to call himself Frankapan. In 1430 he managed to receive recognition from Pope Martin V for being a descendant of the old Roman patrician family Frangipani and officially started using the name and coat of arms Frangipani. In 1240–1241 the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, ...

advanced from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

toward

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...

whose

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

, Béla IV resisted bravely but finally had to seek refuge in Dalmatia. King Béla stayed with the Frankopans who assisted him with arms and funds and brought him into safety in Veglia and then brought him back to his own land. As reward the King gave the Frankopans the county of Senj with surrounding lands and the castle of

Modruš Modruš is a village, former bishopric and current Latin Catholic titular see in the mountainous part of Croatia, located south of its municipality's seat Josipdol (Karlovac County), on the easternmost slopes of Velika Kapela mountain, in nort ...

. liubich, Simeone, Dizionario biografico degli uomini illustri della Dalmazia, Vienna, 1856, p. 136./ref> In 1246 there was another war, between

Frederick II, Duke of Austria Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 25 April 1211 – 15 June 1246), known as Frederick the Quarrelsome (''Friedrich der Streitbare''), was Duke of Austria and Styria from 1230 until his death. He was the fifth and last Austrian duke from the Ho ...

and Béla, who, with the assistance of the Frankopan, won a victory. As a further reward, King Béla then, by royal decree, created the Frankopans as Lords of their territory for them and their descendants. The Frankopans constantly supported the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

. In particular, Nikola Frankopan reconstructed the Holy House of Our Lady in 1294 in

Tersatto Trsat ( it, Tersatto, la, Tarsatica) is part of the city of Rijeka, Croatia, with a historic castle or fortress in a strategic location and several historic churches, in one of which the Croatian noble Prince Vuk Krsto Frankopan is buried. Trs ...

(Trsat). It is recorded that in 1291, Nikola Frankopan sent a delegation to Nazareth to measure the Holy House after the House had been saved, presumably by the Crusaders, and brought to Trsat or Tersatto, on the Adriatic Coast where the Frankopans had a castle. In 1294 Nikola Frankopan, gave the Holy House to the Pope to be placed on Papal lands, at Loreto, near

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...

. Although the possessions of the family were exposed to every assault both from the east and the west, their power increased steadily until the 17th century when their lands reached further east. The

and Frankopan families came into closer affinity by marriage ties until in the eyes of the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an courts they had become one of the most important families of Croatia. In 1420 the Swedish King Erik of Pomerania called Ivan VI Frankopan, the eldest son of the Croatian ban Nikola IV, to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

to accompany the Swedish King to the Holy Land and later to assist the King at the Court in Sweden. Ivan VI Frankopan lived in Sweden at intervals between 1420 and 1430. After his father's death he returned to his home country. His eldest son called Matthias (Matija) stayed in Sweden. In 1425 Emperor Sigismund confirmed the noble status of Nikola Frankopan referring to him as ''Niklas Frangiapan Comes de Begle, Segnie et Modrusse'' (''Nikola Frankopan, Count of Krk, Senj and Modruš'') using the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

title of comes. He also granted the family the privileges of red wax, (Rotwachsprivilegien), i.e., the right to use red wax for their seals. Sigismund underlines at the end of this document that no one must ever dispute these rights of the family.

Bernardin Frankopan Bernardin Frankopan (1453–1529) was a Croatian nobleman and diplomat, a member of the influential Frankopan noble family of Croatia. As one of the wealthiest and most distinguished aristocrats in the kingdom in his day, he had one of the lead ...

's (1453–1529) paternal grandmother Dorothy was from a prominent Hungarian noble family, Garay, while his mother Isotta from Este family was Duchy of Ferrara of

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

. Through ancestry from royal Spanish families Bernardin had even Árpád ancestry (the Árpád dynasty founded the Kingdom of Hungary.) The Frankopan family was persecuted after the Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy, where the Count

Fran Krsto Frankopan Fran Krsto Frankopan ( hu, Frangepán Ferenc Kristóf; 4 March 1643 – 30 April 1671) was a Croatian baroque poet, nobleman and politician. He is remembered primarily for his involvement in the failed Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy. He was a ...

participated in an uprising against

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

King Leopold I. He and his brother-in-law, Petar Zrinski were executed in Wiener Neustadt. The line of Stjepan II Frankopan, Ban of Croatia (d. 1481), died out with Katarina Frankopan in the 16th century. The line of Sigismund Frankopan expired with Franjo Frankopan,

Bishop of Eger The Archdiocese of Eger ( la, Archidioecesis Agriensis) is an archdiocese in Northern Hungary, its centre is the city of Eger. History * 1000: Established as Diocese of Eger * August 9, 1804: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Eger Ordi ...

in 1542. Another branch died out in 1572 with Franjo Frankopan, Ban of Croatia; and the Trsat branch died out with

in 1671 (and in the female line with Maria Juliana Frankopan, married Countess of Abensberg und Traun and later Countess von Attems).

Doimi de Lupis's name claiming

In 1991, Vjekoslav Nikola Antun Doimi de Lupis (1939–2018), originally also Dujmić-Vukasinović, by then a British citizen, changed his name and surname to "Louis Doimi de Frankopan Šubić

" or "Louis Michal Antun Doimi de Lupis de Frankopan Shubich Zrinski" under British Civil law, adding several names of ancient Croatian noble families that combined in such a fashion were historically never attributed to any member of mentioned noble families. In the late 1990s, Louis's cousin Mirko Jamnicki-Dojmi di Delupis wrote an open letter where he denounced claims over Frankopan, Šubić and Zrinski names by his family and presented the family tree of Dojmi di Delupis containing 129 names from the year 1200 onwards. Louis's descendants include

Lady Nicholas Windsor Lady Nicholas Windsor (born Paola Louise Marica Doimi de Lupis, 7 August 1969) is the wife of Lord Nicholas Windsor, son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Early life Lady Nicholas Windsor was born as Paola Louise Marica Doimi de Lupis. She use ...

, and historian

Peter Frankopan Peter Frankopan (born 22 March 1971) is a British historian, writer, and hotelier. Early life and education Frankopan is the second of five children born to Yugoslav-born Croatian Louis Doimi de Frankopan (1939–2018) and Swedish-born barri ...

who also claimed that they always had the same name. In 2002, the wife of Louis Doimi de Lupis, Swedish lawyer Ingrid Detter, bought the Ribnik Castle, once propriety of the Frankopans, and today in the Register of Cultural Goods of Croatia (Z-301), for the price of 1.6 million

kuna Kuna may refer to: Places * Kuna, Idaho, a town in the United States ** Kuna Caves, a lava tube in Idaho * Kuna Peak, a mountain in California * , a village in the Orebić municipality, Croatia * , a village in the Konavle municipality, Croatia ...

s from the Ribnik municipality and in accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Culture, the Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, however almost anything has been invested. In 2003, they also founded the literary awards "Katarina Zrinska" and "Petar Zrinski", which were held only once. In the same year, during the

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

visit of The Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat, which was tightly related to the Frankopan family, the members of de Lupis family managed to get presented not by their original name yet as Frankopans.

Notable members

* Dujam II of Krk (ruled c. 1288–1317) * Bartolomeo VIII Frankopan of Krk and Senji (ruled 1327–1361), in 1336 helped free the future Czech King Charles IV from capturing by piratesFontes rerum Bohemicarum III
/ref> * Ivan V (Anž) of Krk (died 1393),

Ban Ban, or BAN, may refer to: Law * Ban (law), a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship, being denied from entering or using the place/item ** Imperial ban (''Reichsacht''), a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman ...

of Croatia * Nikola IV Frankopan (c.1360–1432), first "Frankopan" and son of Ivan V of Krk also Ban of Croatia * Ivan VI Frankopan ( hu, János) (died 1436), son of Nikola IV Frankopan and Ban of Croatia * Stjepan III Frankopan (Hungarian: István) (c. 1416–1481 or 1484), son of Nikola IV Frankopan. Co-ruled with Ban Ivan VI Frankopan. * Ivan VII Frankopan, ruled the

Principality of Krk The Principality of Krk was a semi-independent principality on the Croatian-Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean ...

between 1451 and 1480. *

(1453–1529) Son of Stjepan Frankopan. Influential nobleman, diplomat, and warrior. * Nikola V Frankopan (died 1456–1458), son of Nikola IV Frankopan and Ban of Croatia and Slavonia * Beatrice Frankopan (1480–c. 1510), heiress of

Hunyad Castle Corvin Castle, also known as Hunyadi Castle or Hunedoara Castle (Romanian: ''Castelul Huniazilor'' or ''Castelul Corvinilor;'' Hungarian: ''Vajdahunyadi vár''), is a Gothic- Renaissance castle in Hunedoara, Romania. It is one of the largest c ...

and wife of

John Corvinus John Corvinus ( Hungarian: ''Corvin János'', Croatian: ''Ivaniš Korvin'', Romanian: ''Ioan Corvin''; 2 April 1473 – 12 October 1504) was the illegitimate son of Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, and his mistress, Barbara Edelpöck. Biog ...

* Krsto Frankopan (1482–1527), son of Bernardin Frankopan and Ban of Croatia * Juraj III Frankopan (?–1553), signatory of Cetingrad Charter (1527) * Franjo Frankopan (1536 – 1572), Ban of Croatia * Vuk II Krsto Frankopan (c. 1578–c. 1652), general of Karlovac generalate * Franjo Frankopan Cetinski, archbishop, bishop, and diplomat * Nikola IX Frankopan of Tržac (died 1647), Ban of Croatia * Katarina Zrinska (c.1625–1673), daughter of Vuk Krsto Frankopan. Married Petar Zrinski, Ban of Croatia. *

(beheaded in 1671), promulgated the Zrinski-Frankopan conspiracy, known as Wesselényi conspiracy in Hungary.

Holdings

Several of the Frankopan castles remain in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...

, mostly around the Gorski kotar region and the island of Krk. The castle at Stara Susica near

Trsat Trsat ( it, Tersatto, la, Tarsatica) is part of the city of Rijeka, Croatia, with a historic castle or fortress in a strategic location and several historic churches, in one of which the Croatian noble Prince Vuk Krsto Frankopan is buried. Trs ...

incorporates structures going back to the

Illyria In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...

n and

periods. The town of Bosiljevo has a medieval fortified castle, renovated in the last century in the spirit of the Romanesque. The castle and park at Severin na Kupi were owned by the Frankopan family until the mid-17th century. Other castles or property of the Frankopans could be found in Ribnik, Bosiljevo,

Novi Vinodolski Novi Vinodolski (, often also called Novi or ''Novi del Vinodol'' o ''Novi in Valdivino'' in Italian) is a town on the Adriatic Sea coast in Croatia, located south of Crikvenica, Selce and Bribir and north of Senj. The population of Novi is 3,98 ...

, Drivenik, Ogulin, Slunj,

Ozalj Ozalj (, hu, Ozaly, german: Wosail or ''Woseil'') is a town in central Croatia, located north of Karlovac and southwest of Jastrebarsko, on the Kupa River. It is close to Žumberak in the north and the border with Slovenia in the northwest, w ...

, Cetingrad,

, and other surrounding towns. The Frankopan castle in the town of Krk is currently used for open-air performances in the summer months. Some castles which were properties of the family: File:Tržan-grad (Modruš) - jugozapad.JPG, Ruins of

Tržan Castle in Modruš The Tržan Castle (; hr, Tržan-grad or ''Utvrda Tržan'') is a ruined medieval castle above the village of Modruš in the northern part of historical Lika region, central Croatia. Before (from the 11th century) the administrative seat of the f ...

, once a seat of the Frankopan family on Croatian mainland File:Cetin.jpg, Cetin Castle File:Croatia Drivenik castle.jpg, Drivenik Castle File:Stari grad dreznik.jpg, Drežnik Castle File:Dobovac-Karlovac.JPG, Dubovac Castle File:Gradina Grizane 210907.jpg, Grižane Castle File:Castle Grobnik2009-2.JPG, Grobnik Castle File:Kraljevica, dvorac Nova Kraljevica, sjeverni zid.jpg, Kraljevica Castle File:Baška018.jpg, Krk Castle File:Novi Vinodolski, Kastel Frankopan.jpg,

Castle File:Castle Novigrad na Dobri.JPG, Novigrad na Dobri Castle File:Burg Ogulin.jpg, Ogulin Castle File:Zugang Schloss Ozalj1.JPG, Ozalj Castle File:Ribnik (Sa istočne strane).png, Ribnik Castle File:Sokolac Brinje 07 3.jpg,

Sokolac Castle Sokolac Castle ( hr, Gradina Sokolac) is a castle in Brinje, Croatia. It is named after the Croatian word for falcon (''sokol''), which appears on the town's coat of arms. History It dates back to medieval times built under King Ladislaus IV of H ...

File:Slunj Old fort of the Frankopans 2004.JPG, Slunj Castle File:Castle Zrinski ruins.JPG, Severin na Kupi Castle File:Dvorac u Staroj Sušici.jpg, Stara Sušica Castle File:Rijeka-Trsat-Hill fort-7.JPG,

Trsat Castle Trsat Castle ( hr, Gradina Trsat) is a castle in Trsat, Croatia. It is thought that the castle lies at the exact spot of an ancient Illyrian and Roman fortress. The Croatian noble Vuk Krsto Frankopan is buried in one of the churches. The Trsat c ...

File:Bihac tvrdi grad AD 1590.jpg, Fortified town of Bihać

History

Doimi de Lupis's name claiming

Notable members

Holdings

See also

References

Further reading