Kastrioti family

Coat of arms of the Kastrioti family.

The Kastrioti family were a noble Albanian family in the middle Ages. The Kastrioti dynasty originally hailed from the Dibër region in Albania. Pal, the founder was Roman-Catholic (as the majority of Albanians at that time)^{[citation needed]} and had good relations to the Republic of Venice, the Kingdom of Naples and the Papacy.

The first notable member of the Kastriotis was Pal Kastrioti who fought with his Albanian knights on the side of the Serbs in the battle of Kosovo (1389) against the Ottomans. He did not survive the battle. His son Gjon Kastrioti († 1437), father of Skanderbeg, expanded the territory of his dominions but was ultimately crushed by Ottomans. His son George Kastrioti Skanderbeg (1405–1468) was the most famous member of the Kastrioti family known for his epic resistance to superior Ottoman forces. Today he renowned as an Albanian national hero.

Coat of arms

Coat of arms of the Kastrioti family.

The coat of arms of the Kastrioti was a black double headed eagle. This symbol was inspired by the Byzantine war flag. When Skanderbeg united the Albanian princes in order to defend Albania from the Ottomans he first used the black double-headed eagle on a red background as a war flag. Because of his fame and status as a national hero, Albania uses Skanderbeg's war flag as its national flag. The eagle on the national flag of Albania has 25 feathers, which symbolizes the 25 successful years of Skanderbeg's struggle against the Ottoman armies.

Members

• Pal Kastrioti - Albanian knight that fought in the Battle of Kosovo alongside Serbs, founder

  ---

• Gjon Kastrioti - father of Gjergj (Skanderbeg) († 1438)
• Vojsava Tripalda - wife of Gjon Kastrioti
  • Reposh Kastrioti - monk or duke
  • Stanisha Kastrioti - († 1445?)
    • Hamza Kastrioti - († 1460?)
  • Konstandin Kastrioti
  • Mara Kastrioti
  • Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg) - Albanian national hero
    • Gjon Kastrioti II - Count of Soleto, son of Gjergj Kastrioti (Skanderbeg)
      • Co(n)stantino (bishop of Isernia 1498, † 1500)
      • Ferrante (duke of San Pietro in Galatina, † 1561)
      • Maria Kastrioti († 1569)
      • Gjergj (fought from 1499-1501 on the side of the Republic of Venice in Albania, † 1540)
  • Jelena Kastrioti - married Pavle Balša/Musachi^[1]
  • Mamica Kastrioti - married Musachio Thopia in 1445^[1]
  • Angjelina Kastrioti - married Stefan I Crnojević^[1]
  • Vlajka Kastrioti - married Ghin Musachi/Balša^[1]

Jela, then wife of Gjin (Gino) Musacchio; Angjelina (Angelina), then wife of Vladan Arianit Conmenus Thopia; Vlajka, then wife of Stefan Maramonte Balšić; Maritsa, then wife of Karol Musacchio Thopia

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} http://books.google.se/books?id=OEvWBG6Ct3YC

External links

• I Castriota Scanderbeg (Italian)
• Genealogical Tree