Chiranna Zenevisi, Lady of Grabossa
Chiranna Zenevisi (Albanian: Kirana Zenebishi) was an Albanian noblewoman and member of the Zenevisi family, as the daughter of Count John Zenevisi.[1] Upon marriage to Andrea III Muzaka, Chiranna was granted by her father the territory and title of Lady of Grabossa. She was the founder of the Holy Trinity Church, Lavdar, an important cultural monument in Albania.[2]
| Chiranna Zenevisi Kirana Zenebishi | |
|---|---|
| Lady of Grabossa | |
 Coat of Arms of the Zenevisi family | |
| Born | 14th century Zagoria, Principality of Sarbissa (modern day Albania) |
| Died | 15th century Principality of Muzaka (modern day Albania) |
| Burial | Saint Mary's Church, Korçë |
| Spouse | Andrea III Muzaka |
| Issue |
|
| House | |
| Father | Gjon Zenebishi |
| Mother | Lady Bua Shpata |
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox |
Life
editChiranna "Anna" Zenevisi or Chiranna Sarbissa, (Albanian: Kirana Zenebishi) was the daughter of John Zenevisi, Serbastokrator of Epirus. Her mother was a daughter of Gjin Bua-Spata[3] and sister of Irene, wife of Esau de' Buondelmonti.[4] From her marriage to Andrea III Muzaka, Chiranna had four children who survived into adulthood:[1]
- Gjin II, father of John Muzaka.
- Maria Muzaka, wife of Gjergj Arianiti and mother of Donika Kastrioti. Through her, Chiranna was the grandmother-in-law of Skanderbeg, Albania's national hero.
- Theodore III, who became his father's successor and participated in various battles against the Ottomans, eventually co-founding the League of Lezhë. He died without leaving any legitimate heirs and was succeeded by his elder brother Ginno II.
- Helena Muzaka, married Lord Philip of Ragusa.
In 1470, Chiranna built the Holy Trinity Church of Tudas, which in 1963, was declared a Cultural Monument of Albania. Her son, Gjin II, built Saint Mary's Church in Bungë, near the village of Zerec.[2] It was built just a few kilometers from Lavdar, where the Holy Trinity Church is located. He was buried in the eastern side of the Church, whereas his mother and wife, Chiranna Zardari, were buried in the western side, upon their respective deaths. Later on, her descendants built another church dedicated to Saint George in the nearby Arostë.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ a b Hopf, Karl (1873). Breve Memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi. pp. 289–290.
- ^ a b Hopf, Karl (1873). Breve Memoria De Li Discendenti De Nostra Casa Musachi [Short memorial of the history of our house Musachi] (in Italian). Berlin.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Anamali, Skender (2002). Historia e popullit shqiptar. Botimet Toena. p. 285.
- ^ Luttrell, Anthony (1982). Latin and Greece: the Hospitallers and the Crussades, 1291-1440. Ashgate Publishing. p. 122.
- ^ Elsie, Robert (2013). A biographical dictionary of Albanian history. London New York: I.B. Tauris in association with The Centre for Albanian Studies. ISBN 978-1-78076-431-3.
- ^ Elsie, Robert (2003). "1515 | John Musachio: Brief Chronicle on the Descendants of our Musachi Dynasty". www.albanianhistory.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-12-31.