The House of Cantacuzino (french: Cantacuzène) is a Romanian aristocratic family of Greek origin. The family gave a number of princes to Wallachia and Moldavia, and it claimed descent from a branch of the Byzantine Kantakouzenos family, specifically from Byzantine Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos (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 Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approx ...

'') status. In 1944, Prince Ștefan Cantacuzino settled in

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 country located on ...

, 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 Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinsh ...

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 co ...

and

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

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 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 begun o ...

. 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 John VI Kantakouzenos, 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 negative ...

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, "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. The Greek scholar

Konstantinos Amantos Konstantinos Amantos ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Άμαντος; 2 August 1874 – 23 January 1960) was a Greek Byzantinist and university professor. Life Konstantinos Amantos was born on 2 August 1874 on Chios, then part of the Ottoman Empire. ...

suggested that "Kantakouzenos" derives from , ultimately from the locality of Kouzenas, a name for the southern part of

Mount Sipylon Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, Co ...

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 by ...

, 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 ( Wallachian and Moldavian) Cantacuzino branch as well as the Russian 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 revolution (Trotskyism), 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 ad ...

and the Soviet occupation of Romania after World War II, (between 1944 and 1947) the last two branches now mostly live in Western Europe and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. 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 Radu Șerban (? – 23 March 1620) was a Wallachian nobleman who reigned as the principality's ''voivode'' during two periods from 1602 to 1610 and during 1611. A supposed descendant of Neagoe Basarab, he attained high office during the reign of ...

, 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 Michael Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus ( el, Μιχαὴλ Καντακουζηνός, 1510 – died 3 March 1578), nicknamed Şeytanoğlu (Turkish for "son of the Devil"), was an Ottoman Greek magnate, noted for his immense wealth and political inf ...

(1510–1578) **

Andronikos Kantakouzenos (1553–1601) Andronikos Kantakouzenos ( grc-gre, Ανδρόνικος Καντακουζηνός or Ανδρόνικος Βηστιάρης, ''Andronikos Vistiaris''; la, Andronicus Cantacuzenus; ro, Andronic or ''Andronie Cantacuzino''; 1553 – late 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 Elisabeta Știrbey (1805–1874), was a Princess consort of Wallachia. Early life Born into an old Phanariote noble family which claimed descent from Byzantine Emperors, she was the daughter of Prince Grigore Cantacuzino-Pașcanu (1779–180 ...

(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 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 ...

(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 Cant ...

(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, preside ...

(1833–1913), Prime Minister of Romania ***********

Mihail G. Cantacuzino Mihail G. Cantacuzino (6 April 1867 – 28 August 1928) was a Romanian politician. After receiving doctorates in Law and Literature from the University of Paris, he became a prominent member of the Conservative Party. He served as Mayor of Bu ...

(1867–1928), Mayor of Bucharest and Justice Minister ************ Constantin Cantacuzino (1905–1958), World War II flying ace ***********

Grigore Gheorghe Cantacuzino Grigore Gheorghe Cantacuzino (1872-1930) was a Romanian Conservative politician who served as Mayor of Bucharest during 1913. The son of Gheorghe Grigore Cantacuzino and brother of Mihail G. Cantacuzino, he married Alexandrina Pallady.

(1872–1930), Mayor of Bucharest; married to Alexandrina Cantacuzino (1876–1944), political activist ************ Alexandru Cantacuzino (1901–1939), politician *******Matei (died 1742) ********

Pârvu Cantacuzino Pârvu III Cantacuzino, also known as Pârvul, Părvul, Purvul or Pîrvu Cantacuzino (russian: Пырву Матвеевич Кантакузино, ''Pyrvu Matveyevich Kantakuzino''; ? – December 11 or 15, 1769), was a high-ranking Wallachian s ...

(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 Matei B. Cantacuzino (July 10, 1855 – August 10, 1925) was a Romanian jurist and politician. A scion of the Cantacuzino family, his parents were Basile Cantacuzino and Pulcheria Rosetti-Bălănescu; he had four sisters (one of whom died in ...

(1855–1925), Mayor of Iași, Education Minister and Justice Minister ************Nicolae (1864–1948) *************

George Matei Cantacuzino George Matei Cantacuzino (–November 1, 1960) was a Romanian architect, painter and essayist. Biography Origins and early career A scion of two noble families, Cantacuzino family, Cantacuzino and Bibescu, he was born in Vienna to Nicolae B. C ...

(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 Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

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 (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 Gheorghe Cantacuzino-Grănicerul was a Romanian landowner, general and far-right politician who was a member of the Iron Guard, and a member of the Legionary Senate. Biography Gheorghe Cantacuzino was born in Paris as the son of engineer I.G. Ca ...

(1869–1937), politician ***********Ioan Radu (1885–1950), married to

Maria Filotti Maria Filotti (9 October 1883, Batogu, Brăila, Batogu, Brăila County, Romania – 5 November 1956, Bucharest, Romania) was a Romanian actress . She was described as one of the "prestigious actors of the great realistic school" and the "directres ...

(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 ************* Șerban Cantacuzino (1941–2011), actor *********** (1895–1951) ***** (1685–1713), Princess of Moldavia **** (1637–1699) **** Constantin Cantacuzino (1639–1716), high official in Wallachia *****

Ștefan Cantacuzino Ștefan Cantacuzino ( el, Στέφανος Καντακουζηνός, ''Stephanos Kantakouzinos''), (c. 1675 – 7 June 1716) was a Prince of Wallachia between April 1714 and January 21, 1716, the son of '' stolnic'' Constantin Cantacuzino. He ...

(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 The Laskaris or Lascaris ( el, Λάσκαρις, later Λάσκαρης) family was a Byzantine Greek noble family whose members formed the ruling dynasty of the Empire of Nicaea from 1204 to 1261 and remained among the senior nobility up to the ...

, 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