Muzaka
Muzakajt
Noble family
The Muzaka coat of arms is found in bas-relief on the residence wall of Palazzo Argentina, Francavilla Fontana, first mentioned by Rosario Jurlaro in his work "I Musachi despoti d'Epiro: in Puglia a salvamento".
CountryMedieval Albania
Current regionMyzeqe
Place of originLekas (present-day southeastern Albania)
Founded13th century
Members
Connected families Arianiti
Kastrioti
Different spellings of the name include Muzaki,[1] Musachi,[1] Musacchio, Musacchia ,Molesachi,[2] Muzhaku, Musaka, Musaki, Musac,[3] and Musacus.[3]

Domenico (Moncino) Musachi or Muzaka is the father of Vojsava Kastrioti, according to the genealogy provided in Gjon Muzaka's "Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi" (Short memory of the descendants of our house Muzaka). Nothing more is known about him, except he was the brother of Gjin Maria Musachi. Domenico had another daughter, Agnese, the mother of Andrea Angeli.[4] Judging by the name Domenico, he must have been baptized into Catholicism. That the Angeli family were relatives of Kastrioti-Skanderbeg, is attested in historical records:

The same Archbishop of Durazzo [i.e. Pal Engjëlli] was sent as Ambassador of King Ferdinand P.o of Aragon to George Castriota, Prince of Albania, and Epirotes known as Skanderbeg, to help him in the war he was waging against Giovanni, son of Raynald d'Anjou ( sic), and being called Skanderbeg at the request of the said Ambassador with a powerful army to help King Ferdinand in the Kingdom of Naples, he brought with him Count Andrea d'Angelo, Count Michele, and Count Pietro sons of Geromino d'Angelo Despot and Prince of Thessaly, nephew of the said Giorgio Castriota known as Skanderbeg, as noted by the Reverend Demetrio Franco in the life and gestures described by him of the aforementioned Prince Skanderbeg.[5]

Pietro Pompilio Rodotà writes in his "Dell'origine, progresso e stato presente del rito greco in Italia osservato dai greci, monaci basiliani, e albanesi libri tre (Of the origin, progress and present state of the Greek rite in Italy observed by the Greeks, Basilian monks, and Albanians, in three books)" (1763):

This truth is also confirmed by the irrefutable report of Giovanni Battista Monardo; who, giving to light the life of Georgio Castriota in Venice in the year 1584. under the auspices of Girolamo Angelo Flavio, nephew of him of the female line, regrets the terrible fate of having been taken away from the world the male offspring of that famous captain...[6]

The Muzaka were a noble Albanian family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe (southern Albania) in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan.[7][1] The earliest historical document that mentions the Muzaka family (around 1090) is written by the Byzantine historian Anna Komnene. At the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century members of the Muzaka family controlled a region between the rivers of Devoll and Vjosë.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fine 1994, p. 290.
  2. Denkschriften: Veröffentlichungen der Kommission für Schrift- und Buchwesen des Mittelalters. Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 1869. p. 1. Herr Andreas Molesachi' (oder Musachi Sebastokrator")
  3. 1 2 Heide Brigitte Buschhausen; Helmut Buschhausen (1976). Die Marienkirche von Apollonia in Albanien: Byzantiner, Normannen u. Serben im Kampf um die Via Egnatia. Verlag d. Österr. Akad. d. Wiss. p. 26. ISBN 978-3-7001-0122-2. Adelsfamilie Musachi (Musac, Musacus)
  4. Carl Hopf, Chroniques gréco-romanes inédites ou peu connues, Berlin, 1873, p. 308.
  5. Rivista del Collegio Araldico (Rivista Araldica), Anno XXIX - 1931, Roma, p. 499 (L'istesso Arcivescovo di Durazzo fu mandato per Ambasciatore del Rè Ferdinando P.o d'Aragona a' Giorgio Castriota Principe d'Albania, et Epiroti detto Scannarebec, accio' lo soccorresse nella guerra, che haveva con Giovanni figlio di Renato d'Ancio' (sic), et venendo detto Scannarebec a' richiesta di detto Ambasciatore con potente esercito per soccorrere d.o Rè Ferdinando nel Regno di Napoli, si porto' seco il conte Andrea d'Angelo, il Conte Michele, et il conte Pietro figli di Geromino d'Angelo Dispoto e Prencipe della Tessaglia nepote di detto Giorgio Castriota detto Scannarebec, conforme nota il Rev.do Demetrio Franco nella vita, e gesti da lui descritta del sud.o Prencipe Scannarebec.)
  6. Pietro Pompilio Rodotà, Dell'origine, progresso e stato presente del rito greco in Italia osservato dai greci, monaci basiliani, e albanesi libri tre, Roma, 1763, p. 27: « Questa verità viene anche confermata dalla relazione irrefrangibile di Gio. Battista Monardo; il quale dando alla luce la vita di Georgio Castriota in Venezia l'anno 1584. sotto gli auspici di Girolamo Angelo Flavio nipote di lui di linea feminile, si duole seco della rea sorte d'essere stata tolta dal mondo la prole maschile di quel celebre capitano...»
  7. Hasan Celâl Güzel; Cem Oğuz; Osman Karatay; Murat Ocak (2002). The Turks: Ottomans (2 v. ). Yeni Türkiye. p. 2v. ISBN 9789756782583. Albanian tribes such as Bua, Muzaka ... Kostandin Muzaka

Works cited

  • Hopf, Karl (1873). Chroniques gréco-romanes inédites ou peu connues. Berlin.


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