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House of Kastrioti

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Kastrioti
Kastriotët
Noble family
Colored rendition of the Kastrioti coat of arms based on an illustration found in the book "Gli Albanesi e la Questione Balkanica" by prominent Arbëresh author and linguistGiuseppe Schirò
CountryMedieval Albania
Current regionMat,Dibër
Founded14th and 15th centuries
Members
Websitecastriotascanderbeg.it

TheKastriotiwere anAlbanian noble family,active in the 14th and 15th centuries as the rulers of thePrincipality of Kastrioti.At the beginning of the 15th century, the family controlled a territory in theMatandDibraregions. The most notable member was Gjergj Kastrioti, better known asSkanderbeg,regarded today as an Albanian hero for leading the resistance againstMehmed the Conqueror's efforts to expand theOttoman Empireinto Albania. After Skanderbeg's death and the fall of the Principality in 1468, the Kastrioti family gave their allegiance to theKingdom of Naplesand were given control over the Duchy ofSan Pietro in Galatinaand the County ofSoleto,now in theProvince of Lecce,Italy.[1]Ferrante (died 1561), son ofGjon Kastrioti II,Duke of Galatina and Count of Soleto, is the direct ancestor of all male members of the Kastrioti family today. Today, the family consists of two Italian branches, one inLecceand the other inNaples.The descendants of the House of Kastrioti in Italy use the family name "Castriota Scanderbeg".

History[edit]

Genealogy of the Kastrioti family, Du Cange (1680), Historia Byzantina duplici commentario

A figure attested asKastriot of Kaninain southern Albania who appears in a letter sent on September 2, 1368 byAlexander Komnenos Asento theRagusansenate has been hypothesised by a number of authors, mostly in the early 20th century, as an ancestor of the Kastrioti family.Heinrich Kretschmayrargued that this Kastriot may have been in factPal or Gjergj Kastrioti,John Fineconsidered it "probable" that this Kastriot was an ancestor ofGjon KastriotiandAleks Budatried to bridge the geographical discrepancy between the Kastriot of Kanina who lived in southern Albania and the Kastrioti who were active in north-central Albania by arguing that after the fall of theBalšić,they returned to their ancestral lands in theDibër valley.[2][3][4]In contemporary historiography, the figure recorded as Kastriot of Kanina in 1368 is considered to be unrelated to the Kastrioti family.[5]The Kastrioti so far remain absent from historical or archival records in comparison to other Albanian noble families until their first historical appearance at the end of the 14th century.[6] The historical figure ofKonstantin KastriotiMazreku is attested in Giovanni Andrea Angelo Flavio Comneno'sGenealogia diversarum principum familiarum.Angelo mentions Kastrioti asConstantinus Castriotus, cognomento Meserechus, Aemathiae & Castoriae Princeps(Constantinus Castriotus, surnamed Meserechus, Prince of Aemathia and Castoria). The toponym Castoria has been interpreted asKastriot,Kastrat in Has, Kastrat in Dibra or the microtoponym "Kostur" near the village of Mazrek in the Has region.[7]In connection to the Kastrioti family name, it is very likely that the name of one the different Kastriot or Kastrat which were fortified settlements as their etymology shows (castrum) was as their family name. The Kastrioti may have originated from this village or probably had acquired it aspronoia.[8]Angelo used the cognomenMeserechusin reference to Skanderbeg and this link to the same name is produced in other sources and reproduced in later ones likeDu Cange'sHistoria Byzantina(1680).[9]These links highlight that the Kastrioti used Mazreku as a name that highlighted their tribal affiliation (farefisni).[10]The name Mazrek(u), which means horse breeder in Albanian, is found throughout all Albanian regions.[11]The Kastrioti themselves were organised in a tribal structure and formed afisor clan/tribe.[12]

Konstantin Kastrioti's son, who was the father ofGjon Kastriotiand grandfather ofSkanderbeg,appears in two historical sources,Gjon Muzaka'sBreve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi(1510) and Andrea Angelo'sGenealogia diversarum principum familiarum(1603/1610) who was later largely reproduced byDu Cange(1680). Angelo calls Gjon Kastrioti's father "Georgius Castriotus" (Gjergj), lord (princeps) of "Aemathiae, Umenestria" (Matand probablyUjmisht) and "Castoriae". Muzaka calls him "Paulo Castrioto" (Pal) and asserts that "he ruled over no more than two villages, called Signa and Gardi Ipostesi" (Sinëand Gardhi i Poshtëm, in Çidhën ofDibër).[13]His first name is disputed. Neither name can be characterized as the correct version because of an extreme lack of sources. The name "Paulo" (Pal) is mentioned only by one author (Muzaka) and wasn't used as the name of any of his grandsons (Reposh, Konstantin, Stanisha, Gjergj) or great-grandsons (Giorgio, Costantino, Ferrante).[14]

His rule over "only two villages" as described by Muzaka has been disputed because if true, it would mean that his son, Gjon Kastrioti who ruled over a much larger area rose to power in the span of one generation. This is considered a very unlikely trajectory in the context of Albanian medieval society becausenoble familieshad acquired their area of influence over multiple generations.[15]Historian Kristo Frashëri considers it likely that he ruled over his region "in the third quartier of the 14th century" between 1350-75 based on the fact that when his grandson Gjergj Kastrioti was born, his son Gjon had already fathered eight children.[14]

His son,Gjon Kastrioti(died 1437), became the lord of Matia (Mat). He managed to expand his territory but was ultimately subdued by the invading Ottomans. The most notable member was Gjergj Kastrioti, better known asSkanderbeg(1405–1468), declared an Albanian national hero, renowned in Albanian folklore for uniting theAlbanian principalitiesin a military and diplomatic alliance, theLeague of Lezhë,which fought againstMehmed the Conqueror's efforts to further expand the Ottoman Empire intoEurope.

Titles[edit]

The list of titles used by Kastrioti family are:

Albania in the Middle Ages

InOttoman Empire

In theKingdom of Naples

Members[edit]

Two possible members of the Kastrioti are recorded in the Ottomandefterof 1467. The first, a certainDimitri Kastrijoti,appears as a household head from the village ofSetina e Poshtmewhich, alongsideSetina e Sipërme,can be identified withSignawhich was traditionally held by the Kastrioti. The second was ayamakby the name ofMark KastriotifromDerjanwho was stationed inShtjaknëz(modern Shqefën).[20]

Italian period[edit]

Trionfo di MardocheobyPaolo Veronesein the church ofSan Sebastiano, Venice,1556.Skanderbeg,who holds the Albanian flag, is depicted as the Biblical heroMordechaiwho saved the Hebrews in theAchaemenid Empire[21]

After the fall of Albania to the Ottoman Empire, theKingdom of Naplesgave land and noble title to Skanderbeg's family, the Kastrioti.[22]His family were given control over the Duchy ofSan Pietro in Galatinaand the County ofSoleto,now in the Province of Lecce in Italy.[1]His son,Gjon Kastrioti II,marriedJerina Branković,daughter of Serbian DespotLazar Brankovićand one of the last descendants of thePalaiologos.[1]Two patrilineal branches of the Kastrioti family exist today: the branch ofLeccewith two sub-branches and the branch ofNapoliwith one sub-branch. Both branches are patrilineally descended from the sons of Ferrante (-1561), Duke ofGalatinaand Count ofSoleto.[23]

Armorials[edit]

Main branch[edit]

Cadet branches[edit]

  • Coat of arms of the Neapolitan branch of the family by Giacomo Fontana (1605)
    Coat of arms of the Neapolitan branch of the family by Giacomo Fontana (1605)
  • Coat of arms of the Neapolitan branch of the family by Jerónimo de Bolea (17th century)
    Coat of arms of the Neapolitan branch of the family by Jerónimo de Bolea (17th century)
  • Coat of arms of the Neapolitan branch of the family by Angelo Maria da Bologni (1715)
    Coat of arms of the Neapolitan branch of the family by Angelo Maria da Bologni (1715)

Footnotes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^abcRunciman 1990,pp. 183–185
  2. ^Kretschmayr, Heinrich (1920).Geschichte von Venedig(in German). Vol. 2. Gotha: F.A. Perthes. p. 375.OCLC39124645.
  3. ^Buda 1986,p. 239.
  4. ^Fine 1994,p. 357.
  5. ^Omari 2014,p. 29
  6. ^Omari 2014,p. 46.
  7. ^Bela 2019,p. 229.
  8. ^Omari 2014,p. 44
  9. ^Malaj 2013,p. 43
  10. ^Malaj 2013,p. 44
  11. ^Malaj 2013,p. 45.
  12. ^Gall, Timothy L.; Hobby, Janeen (2009).Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life: Europe.p. 27.ISBN9781414464305.
  13. ^Omari 2014,p. 45
  14. ^abOmari 2014,p. 41
  15. ^Muhaj 2015,p. 42.
  16. ^Vuković, Novo (1996).Književnost Crne Gore od XII do XIX vijeka.Obod. p. 42.Његов други син звани Репош, брат Бурђа Кастриота, умро је 1430. или 1431. године у Хиландару и тамо је...
  17. ^abcd[1]p. 96
  18. ^Noli, Fan Stilian(1947),George Castrioti Scanderbeg (1405–1468),International Universities Press, p. 64,OCLC732882,Vlajka me Stefan Stres Balshën
  19. ^Gopčević, Spiridon(1914).Geschichte von Montenegro und Albanien(in German). Gotha: F.A. Perthes. p.460.OCLC9968504.Retrieved29 March2012.Bezüglich der Strez herrscht Verwirrung. Hopf macht Ivo und Gojko BalSid zu Söhnen des Stefan Strez, welcher Vlajka Kastriota geheiratet hätte und Sohn des Gjuragj Balšić gewesen wäre, eines Bastards des Gjuragj I.
  20. ^Caka, Eduart (2019).Defteri i hollësishëm për zonat e dibrës i vitit 1467.Tiranë: Akademia e studimeve albanologjike instituti historisë. pp. 73, 169.
  21. ^Nadin, Lucia (2013).Venezia e Albania: una storia di incontri e secolari legami.Regione del Veneto. p. 96.ISBN978-88-97784-35-7.
  22. ^Gibbon 1901,p. 467
  23. ^"Official genealogical tree of the Kastrioti famly".Castriota-Scanderbeg.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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