Cantacuzene

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The sarcophagus of Princess Bălaşa Cantacuzino, kept in the National Museum of Romanian History

The Cantacuzino (Cantacuzène) family is an old boyar family of Wallachia which claims descent from the Byzantine Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus. No definite genealogical links between Byzantine and Romanian Cantacuzinos have been established so far, however some researchers.^{[1][verification needed]} claim otherwise.

Byzantine 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.

Branches after the Byzantine Period

Cantacuzino Palace in Bucharest

The family is currently divided into several branches: the Greek branch, which was downgraded to the level of peasantry during the Ottoman period, the Romanian (Wallachian and Moldavian) branches and 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]}

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

See also

• Cantacuzino Bible

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Jean-Michel Cantacuzène, Mille ans dans les Balkans Éditions Christian Paris (1992) ISBN 2-86496-054-0.

External links

• Romanian Society at the Dawn of Modern Ages (17th-18th Centuries)