The House of Cantacuzino (french: Cantacuzène) is a

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...

n aristocratic family of

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

origin. The family gave a number of princes to

Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...

and

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centra ...

, and it claimed descent from a branch of the Byzantine Kantakouzenos family, specifically from

Byzantine Emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as l ...

John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under A ...

(reigned 1347–1354). After the Russo-Ottoman War of 1710–11, a lateral branch of the family settled in Russia, receiving the princely (''

Knyaz , or (Old Church Slavonic: Кнѧзь) is a historical Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times of history and different ancient Slavic lands. It is usually translated into English as prince or duke, dependi ...

'', as opposed to '' Velikij Knyaz'') status. In 1944, Prince Ștefan Cantacuzino settled in Sweden, where his descendants form part of the

unintroduced nobility The Swedish nobility ( sv, Adeln eller Ridderskapet och Adeln) has historically been a legally and/or socially privileged class in Sweden, and part of the so-called ''frälse'' (a derivation from Old Swedish meaning ''free neck''). The archaic term ...

of that country.

Origin of the family

Members of the family claim that the genealogical links between the

Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the Ottoman c ...

and Romanian branches of the family have been extensively researched.Jean-Michel Cantacuzène, ''Mille ans dans les Balkans'' Éditions Christian Paris (1992) . The family first appears among the

Phanariotes Phanariots, Phanariotes, or Fanariots ( el, Φαναριώτες, ro, Fanarioți, tr, Fenerliler) were members of prominent Greek families in Phanar (Φανάρι, modern ''Fener''), the chief Greek quarter of Constantinople where the Ecumeni ...

in the late 16th century, with Michael "Şeytanoğlu" Kantakouzenos, after a gap of over a century from the

Fall of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had beg ...

. Whether the family is indeed linked to the Byzantine imperial house of Kantakouzenos is disputed, as it was usual among wealthy Greeks of the time to assume Byzantine surnames and claim descent from the famous noble houses of their Byzantine past. The first member of the family to publicly stress his imperial descent on an international level was the adventurer and pretender Radu Cantacuzino (1699–1761), who produced a genealogy linking himself to Emperor

, though it contained several invented figures. Radu also changed his coat of arms from the earlier arms depicting an eagle holding a cross, to a new rendition with more shields representing various families and regions, a version still in use by the family today. The eminent Byzantinist

Steven Runciman Sir James Cochran Stevenson Runciman ( – ), known as Steven Runciman, was an English historian best known for his three-volume '' A History of the Crusades'' (1951–54). He was a strong admirer of the Byzantine Empire. His history's negativ ...

considered the latter-day Kantakouzenoi "perhaps the only family whose claim to be in the direct line from Byzantine Emperors, as authentic", but according to the historian

Donald Nicol Donald MacGillivray Nicol, (4 February 1923 – 25 September 2003) was an English Byzantinist. Life Nicol was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, to a Church of Scotland minister, and received a classical education at King Edward VII School i ...

, "Patriotic Rumanian historians have indeed labored to show that ... of all the Byzantine imperial families that of the Kantakouzenos is the only one which can truthfully be said to have survived to this day; but the line of succession after the middle of the fifteenth century is, to say the least, uncertain." The origin of the Byzantine family can be traced to

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

. The Greek scholar Konstantinos Amantos suggested that "Kantakouzenos" derives from , ultimately from the locality of Kouzenas, a name for the southern part of Mount Sipylon near Smyrna. Donald Nicol agrees with this theory, and lists some connections the Kantakouzenoi had with the locale in the 11th and 13th centuries.

Origin of the Romanian branch

The Cantacuzino Palace from Bucharest (Romania)

The Greek Kantakouzenos family had been active in Constantinople and Greece during the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted ...

, but several branches of the original Greek family were created via the migrations and establishment of Kantakouzenos family members to different parts of Europe. Two of those new branches were the Romanian (

n and

n) Cantacuzino branch as well as the

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

n branch (which is an offshoot of the Romanian-Moldavian one). As a consequence of the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...

and the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

occupation of Romania after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, (between 1944 and 1947) the last two branches now mostly live in

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

and North America. According to Jean-Michel Cantacuzène and Mihail Sturdza, the origin of the Cantacuzino family in Romania is traced to Andronikos Kantakouzenos (1553–1601; also known as Andronik), a Greek financier from Constantinople, son of the "''Prince of the Greeks''" Michael "Şeytanoğlu" Kantakouzenos. Andronikos had among his several sons two who became "boyars" in what today is Romania and founded the yet-surviving new branches of Cantacuzino: * "boyar" Georgios 'Iordaki' Kantakouzenos became forefather of the Moldavian branch, which soon branched to Cantacuzino-Deleanu and Cantacuzino-Pasceanu. * "boyar" Konstantinos 'Kostaki' Kantakouzenos married an heiress (daughter) of the late reigning prince Radu Șerban, onetime ruler of Wallachia, and they founded the Wallachian branches which soon clashed against the Ghica family over power.

Family tree of notable members

* Michael Kantakouzenos Şeytanoğlu (1510–1578) ** Andronikos Kantakouzenos (1553–1601) ***Mihai **** Dumitrașcu Cantacuzino (died 1686), Prince of Moldavia ***Iordache (died 1663) ****Toderascu (died 1685) *****Ionitsa (1664–1692) ******Iordache (1688–1758) *******Ionitsa (1721–1789) ********Matei (1750–1817) ********* Alexandros Kantakouzinos (1787–1841), magnate and politician ********** Alexandru Cantacuzino (1811–1884), government minister ****Iordache (died 1700) *****Iordache (died 1740) ******Constantin (died 1740) ******* (1740–1826) ********Constantin (1778–1843) *********Lascar (1805–1885) ********** Constantin Cantacuzino-Pașcanu (1856–1927), politician *********Nicolas (1811–1840), married to (1821–1860) **********Pulcheria (1840–1865), married to ********Grigore (1779–1809) ********* Elisabeta Știrbey (1805–1874), Princess of Wallachia ********Alexandru (1786–1832) ********* (1829–1897) *** (1598–1663); married to

Elena Cantacuzino Elena Cantacuzino (1611–1687) was a Wallachian noble. She was the daughter of Radu Șerban and educated in Vienna. She married the official Constantin Cantacuzino, with whom she had several children, among them Șerban Cantacuzino Șerban Can ...

**** (1630–1667) *****Parvu (died 1696) ******Parvu (1689–1751) *******Ioan (died 1749) ********Iordache (1747–1803) ********* Constantin Cantacuzino (1793–1877) **********

Ion C. Cantacuzino Ioan I. Cantacuzino (; also Ion Cantacuzino; 25 November 1863 – 14 January 1934) was a renowned Romanian physician and bacteriologist, a professor at the School of Medicine and Pharmacy of the University of Bucharest, and a titular member of ...

(1825–1878), politician *********** Ioan Cantacuzino (1863–1934), physician and scientist **********Adolf (1839–1911) ***********

Scarlat Cantacuzino Scarlat A. Cantacuzino (June 6, 1874 – August 8, 1949) was a Romanian poet, essayist and diplomat. Early life and education Born in Bucharest to the magistrate Adolf Cantacuzino and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Iarca), he was a scion of the Can ...

(1874–1949), poet and diplomatMihaela Roco and Mihail C. Roco, Diplomatie si Poezie - Contributia Europeana a lui Scarlat A. Cantacuzino (Charles-Adolphe Cantacuzène), 176 p. Bucharest: Editura Universitară, 2018. . (http://www.editurauniversitara.ro/carte/istorie-75/diplomatie_si_poezie___contributia_europeana_a_lui_scarlat_a_cantacuzino_charles_adolphe_cantacuzne/11683) *********Grigore (1800–1849) **********

Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino Prince Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino (22 September 1833 – 22 March 1913), was a Romanian politician and lawyer, one of the leading Conservative Party policymakers. Among his political posts were minister of public instruction in Romania, presid ...

(1833–1913),

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

*********** Mihail G. Cantacuzino (1867–1928), Mayor of Bucharest and Justice Minister ************ Constantin Cantacuzino (1905–1958),

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

*********** Grigore Gheorghe Cantacuzino (1872–1930), Mayor of Bucharest; married to Alexandrina Cantacuzino (1876–1944), political activist ************ Alexandru Cantacuzino (1901–1939), politician *******Matei (died 1742) ******** Pârvu Cantacuzino (died 1769), Ban of Oltenia, the leader of an anti- Ottoman rebellion in 1769 ********Constantin (died 1761) *********Ioan (1756–1828) **********Nicolae (1790–1857) ***********Vasile (1818–1906) ************ Matei B. Cantacuzino (1855–1925), Mayor of Iași, Education Minister and

Justice Minister A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

************Nicolae (1864–1948) ************* George Matei Cantacuzino (1899–1960), architect ************** Serban Cantacuzino (1928–2018), architect ***********

Marie Cantacuzène Marie Cantacuzène (20 July 1820 – 29 August 1898) was a Romanian princess and painter's model, and wife of the painter Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. Biography Marie Cantacuzène was the eldest of the three children of Prince Nicholas Cantacuz ...

(1820–1898), painter's model ********

Rodion Cantacuzino Prince Rodion (Radukan) Matveyevich Cantacuzino ( ro, Radu Cantacuzino; 1725 – 1774) was a Wallachian colonel, a participant of the Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774. The founder of the Russian branch of the Wallachian Cantacuzino family. The ...

(1725–1774) ********* (1761–1841) **********Rodion (1812–1880) *********** (1847–1894) ************

Prince Mikhail Cantacuzène Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Cantacuzène, Count Speransky (russian: Михаи́л Миха́йлович Кантаку́зин, граф Сперанский; 29 April 1875 – 25 March 1955) was a Russian general. The title of Count Speransky ...

(1875–1955), Russian diplomat; married to

Julia Dent Cantacuzène Spiransky-Grant Julia Dent Grant Cantacuzène Speransky, Princess Cantacuzène, Countess Speransky (June 6, 1876 – October 4, 1975), was an American author and historian. She was the eldest child of Frederick Dent Grant and his wife Ida Marie Honoré, and the ...

(1876–1975), granddaughter of Ulysses S. Grant and author **********Alexander (1813–1857) *********** Olga Cantacuzène-Altieri (1843–1929), novelist **********Ivan (1816–1888) ***********Pavel (1852–1922) ************George (1881–1950) *************Pierre (1922–1975) **************

Ambrose Ambrose of Milan ( la, Aurelius Ambrosius; ), venerated as Saint Ambrose, ; lmo, Sant Ambroeus . was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promo ...

(1947–2009), Bishop of Vevey ****

Șerban Cantacuzino Șerban Cantacuzino (), (1634/1640 – 29 October 1688) was a Prince of Wallachia between 1678 and 1688. Life and career Cantacuzino took part in the Ottoman campaign which ended in their defeat at the Battle of Vienna. According to Gaster (19 ...

(1634–1688), Voivode of Wallachia 1678–1688 ***** (1673–1739) ******Toma (1714–1762) *******Matei (1745–1817) ********Iordache (1775–1827) *********Constantin (1811–1876) ********** (1845–1898), Minister of Finance **********Constantin (1847–1920), married to (1863–1944), writer *********Gheorghe (1815–1890) **********Ioan (1847–1911) *********** Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul (1869–1937), politician ***********Ioan Radu (1885–1950), married to Maria Filotti (1883–1956), actress ************

Ion Filotti Cantacuzino Ion Filotti Cantacuzino or Ion I. Cantacuzino (November 7, 1908, Bucharest, Romania – August 27, 1975, Bucharest, Romania) was a Romanian film producer, writer and psychiatrist. Biographic data Ion Filotti Cantacuzino, born in Bucharest on No ...

(1908–1975), writer and film producer *************

Gheorghe I. Cantacuzino Gheorghe I. Cantacuzino (born 1937, Bucharest-2019) was a Romanian historian and archeologist. Education Gheorghe I. Cantacuzino studied at the Sfântul Sava High School, graduating in 1954. Thereafter he attended the courses of the Faculty ...

(1937–2019), historian *************

(1941–2011), actor *********** (1895–1951) ***** (1685–1713), Princess of Moldavia **** (1637–1699) **** Constantin Cantacuzino (1639–1716), high official in Wallachia ***** Ștefan Cantacuzino (1675–1716), Voivode of Wallachia 1714–1716; married to

Păuna Greceanu-Cantacuzino Păuna Greceanu-Cantacuzino (died 1740), was a Princess consort of Wallachia by marriage to Ștefan Cantacuzino Ștefan Cantacuzino ( el, Στέφανος Καντακουζηνός, ''Stephanos Kantakouzinos''), (c. 1675 – 7 June 1716) was a P ...

(died 1740) ****** Radu Cantacuzino (1699–1761) **** (1640–1716) ****Matei (died 1685) ***** (died 1721) **Ioannis (born 1570) ***

Bella Rosetti Bella is a feminine given name. It is a diminutive form of names ending in -bella. ''Bella'' is related to the Italian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese and Latin words for beautiful, to the name Belle, meaning ''beautiful'' in French. It increased in ...

(Cantacuzino), wife of Lascaris Rosetti, high chancellor of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and mother of Constantin Rosetti and Prince

Antonie Ruset Antonie Ruset or Antonie Rosetti (c. 1615 – 1685) ruled from November 10, 1675 to November 1678 in the Principality of Moldova. Life He came from an ancient family of Greek origin. Ruset ordered on March 29, 1677, the relocation of the seat ...

References

External links

Romanian Society at the Dawn of Modern Ages (17th–18th Centuries)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cantacuzino Family Kantakouzenos family Greek noble families Romanian people of Greek descent Phanariotes Romanian boyar families Swedish unintroduced nobility Bulgarian noble families

Origin of the family

Origin of the Romanian branch

Family tree of notable members

See also

References

External links