Mourouzis family

Coat of arms of Princes Muruzi

TheHouse of Mourouzis(Greek:Μουρούζης) orMoruzi(Russian:Мурузи,Muruzi) is the name of an old and distinguished noble family which was first mentioned in theEmpire of Trebizond,whose members later occupied many important positions withinOttoman Empire,Wallachia,Moldavia,Russian EmpireandRomania.

History

Its origins have been lost, but the two prevalent theories are that they were either a local family originating in a village which has a related name or else one that arrived with theVenetiansduring theFourth Crusade(since there are records of a Venetian family with a similar name a generation earlier). They became one of the leading families ofPhanariotes.The family moved to present-dayRomania(theDanubian Principalities) in the 17th century, becameDragomans of the Porteandboyars,and gaveWallachiaandMoldaviatwohospodars– PrincesConstantineandAlexander.Constantine's great grandson Demetrius fled toRussiaafter the outbreak of theGreek War of Independence,where his progeny was permitted to use theirPrincely titlein 1893 and later in 1905. Members of the family remained in Romania andBessarabiauntil theSovietoccupation post-World War II.

Notable members

• Constantine Mourouzis(1730 – 1 May 1787),Dragoman of the Fleet,Grand Dragomanand Prince of Wallachia and Moldavia
• Alexander Mourouzis(1750/1760 – 1816),Grand Dragomanof theOttoman Empireand Prince of Wallachia and Moldavia
• Panagiotis Mourouzis,Dragoman of the FleetandDragoman of the Porte
• Michael Mourouzis, (d. 1821)Dragoman of the Fleet
• Alexandru Constantin Moruzi(1815–1878), Romanian economist and politician
• Dumitru C. Moruzi(1850–1914), Moldavian-born Imperial Russian and Romanian civil servant, folklorist and writer
• Maria Moruzi-Cuza(d. 1921), wife ofIon I. C. Brătianu,and mother ofGheorghe I. Brătianu
• Yves Mourousi(1942–1998), French television and radio presenter and journalist

Former properties of the Princes Muruzi

• 
  Muruzi palace inSaint Petersburg,Russia

See also

• Muruzi House

References

• Iurie Colesnic,Reîntoarcerea pribeagului(on Dumitru C. Moruzi and his family)(in Romanian).
• Petre Out, "" Adevărul rămâne oricare ar fi soarta celor care l-au servit ". Gh.I.Brătianu – un istoric printre politicieni", inDosarele Istoriei,1/VI, 2001.

External links

• The Moruzi Family Manor(in Romanian)