Zoe Palaiologina (c1448-1503)

Zoe Palaiologina (Ζωή Παλαιολογίνα), later changed her name to Sophia Palaiologina, (between 1440 and 1449 or c. 1455 – 7 April 1503), Grand Duchess of Moscow, was a niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine XI and second wife of Ivan III of Russia. Grandmother of Ivan the Terrible.

Biography
Her father was Thomas Palaeologus, the Despot of Morea. Together with her brothers, she was taken to Rome after the conquest of Morea by Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire in 1460. In Rome, her Greek name Zoe was changed to Sophia. Born as an Orthodox, it is possible that she was raised as a Catholic in Rome.

In 1469, Pope Paul II offered to marry her to the Russian monarch in order to unite the Orthodox and Catholic churches. She entered Russia with a grand entourage and was welcomed in the city of Pskov, where she was officially celebrated – it was noticed, that she thanked the public herself for the celebrations. The widowed Russian prince married Sophia at the Dormition Cathedral, Moscow on 12 November 1472. The cardinal Johannes Bessarion, sent by the Pope to Moscow, however, did not succeed in his mission.

Over the years, Sophia started to have great influence in her husband's decision making. she was described as a "shrewd" character, and it was rumoured that her husband let himself be directed by her suggestions. In 1472, she was affected by the formal tributary gesture by which her spouse greeted the Mongolian representatives, and is believed to have convinced him to abandon the tributary relationship to the Mongols, which was completed in 1480. It is thought that she was the first to introduce the Kremlin to grand Byzantine ceremonies and meticulous court etiquette, the idea of Moscow as a Third Rome evidently pleased her. Sophia was apparently not obliged to follow the custom of traditional isolation by which other Russian noble and royal woman was expected to live during this time; it is noted that she was not confined to the women's quarters, but greeted foreign representatives from Europe similarly as the queens of Western Europe. Shortly before her death she persuaded her husband to pass the throne to her son Vasili, rather than to Ivan's grandson Dmitry, as had been planned earlier. Apart from Vasili III, only her fifth son, Andrey of Staritsa, left issue. Her last known descendant Maria of Staritsa, wife of Livonia's king Magnus, died in 1610.

Ancestry
Biography

[ edit ] Family Her father, Thomas Palaeologus, was the brother of the last emperor of Byzantium Constantine XI and the despot of the Morea (peninsula Peloponnese ).

Moreysky Despotate in 1450

Thomas Palaeologus, the father of Sophia (fresco by Pinturicchio, the Piccolomini Library )

Emperor John VIII, uncle of Sophia (fresco by Benozzo Gozzoli, Chapel of the Magi )

Emperor Constantine XI, uncle of Sophia (later icon)

Her maternal grandfather was Chenturione Dzakkaria II, the last Frankish Prince of Achaia. Chenturione came from a Genoese merchant family. His father was raised to rule Achaia King of Naples Charles III of Anjou. Chenturione inherited power from his father and rule in the principality until 1430, when the despot Thomas Palaeologus Morea began large-scale offensive in his possession. This has forced the prince to retreat to his ancestral castle in Messenia, where he died in 1432, two years after the peace treaty, by which Thomas married his daughter Catherine. After his death in the Principality joined the Despotate. 4 generations of ancestors Sofia (family tree) [show] Older sister Zoe Elena Paleologinya Moreyskaya (1431 - November 7, 1473) with 1446 was the wife of the Serbian despot Lazar Brankovic, and after the capture of Serbian Muslims in 1459 fled to the Greek island of Lefkada , which became a nun. Also Thomas had two surviving sons, Andrew Palaeologus (1453-1502) and Manuel Palaeologus (1455-1512). [ edit ] Italy

Sixtus IV

Bessarion of Nicaea Determining the fate of Zoey was the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Constantine was killed in 1453 during the capture of Constantinople, after 7 years, in 1460, Morey was captured by Turkish Sultan Mehmed II, Thomas moved to the island of Corfu , and then to Rome, where he soon died. Zoya Brother 7-year-old Andrew and 5-year-old Manuel had moved to Rome five years after his father. There she was given the name " Sophia ". Palaiologos settled at the court of Pope Sixtus IV (Sistine Chapel of the customer). To gain support in the last year of his life Thomas converted to Catholicism. After the death of Thomas May 12, 1465 (his wife Catherine died in the same year a little earlier) the tutelage of his children took up the famous Greek scholar Cardinal Bessarion of Nicaea, a supporter of the union. Survived his letter in which he gave instructions teacher orphans. From the letter it follows that the Pope will continue to release their contents 3600 crowns a year (200 crowns a month - for children, their clothes, horses and servants, plus should save for a rainy day, and spend 100 crowns for the maintenance of a modest yard ). The yard includes doctors, professors of Latin, a professor of Greek language, an interpreter and 1-2 priests. A few words should be said about the sad fate of the brothers, Sofia. After the death of Thomas Crown Paleologo de jure inherited son Andrew, who sold it to various European monarchs, and died in poverty. During the reign of Bayezid II 's second son, Manuel, turned out to be an heir, he returned to Istanbul and the sultan ceded his rights. According to some sources, he converted to Islam, started a family and served in the Turkish Navy. In 1466 Venetian senoritas invited Cyprus to King II, Jacques de Lusignan her candidacy as a bride, but he refused. According to Fr. Pirlinga, the brilliance of her name and fame of ancestors were poor bulwark against the Ottoman ships cruised in the Mediterranean Sea. Around 1467, Pope Paul II by Cardinal Bessarion offered her hand to Prince Parachchiolo, noble Italian richer. It was solemnly betrothed; yet the marriage never took place. [ edit ] Wedding

Victor Muyzhel. "Ambassador Ivan Frezin Ivan III presents a portrait of his fiancee Sophia Palaeologus"

Ivan III was widowed in 1467 - his first wife, Mary B., Princess Tverskaya died, leaving his only son, heir - Ivan Young. Sofia marriage with Ivan III was proposed in 1469 Pope Paul II, presumably in the hope of strengthening the influence of the Catholic Church in Russia, or perhaps convergence of Catholic and Orthodox churches - to restore the connection Florentine churches. Motives of Ivan III, were probably connected with the status, and recently widowed monarch has agreed to marry a Greek princess. The idea of marriage, perhaps born in the mind of Cardinal Bessarion. The talks lasted three years. Russian chronicle narrates: February 11, 1469 Greek Yuri arrived in Moscow from Cardinal Bessarion to the Grand Duke with a sheet in which the Grand Duke was offered to the bride Sophia, daughter Amorrean despot Thomas, "Orthodox Christian "(to move her to Catholicism held back). Ivan III had consulted with his mother, Metropolitan Philip and the boyars, and received a positive decision. In 1469 Ivan Fryazin (Gian Battista Della Volpe), was sent to the Roman court of matchmaker for the Grand Duke Sofia. Sofia chronicle shows that back to Russia c Ivan Friazin was sent a portrait of the bride, and a secular painting was extremely surprising in Moscow - "... a princess on the icon of writing has brought." (Portrait, this has not been preserved, which is very unfortunate because certainly he was written by a painter to the papal service, the generation of Perugino, Melotstso da Forli and Pedro Berruguete ). The Pope received the Ambassador of a great honor. He asked the Grand Duke to send the bride boyars. Fryazin again went to Rome on Jan. 16, 1472, and arrived there May 23Queen Catherine of Bosnia Kosach dressed in Italian fashion - Sophia Palaeologus, "pitomitsu the Apostolic See, also, most likely worn by a Latin, not Greek fashion. June 1, 1472 in the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul's correspondence took a betrothal. Deputy Grand Prince Ivan was Fryazin. As guests attended the governor's wife Florence of Lorenzo the Magnificent Clarice Orsini [2] Bosnia and Queen Catherine . Pope, except gifts, gave the bride a dowry to 6 thousand ducats. 24 June 1472 a large convoy of Sofia Palaeologus, together with Friazin left Rome. The bride was accompanied by Cardinal Bessarion of Nicaea, which was supposed to realize the opportunities for the Holy See. Legend has it that part of the dowry of Sofia were the books that form the basis of meeting the famous library of Ivan the Terrible . Formation Sofia: Yuri Trahaniot, Dmitry Trahaniot , Prince Constantine, Dmitri (the ambassador of her brothers), St. Cassian Grek. And also - the papal legate Genovese Anthony Bonumbre, Bishop Achchii (his record erroneously called a cardinal).

Banner "Sermon of John the Baptist" from the oratorio San Giovanni, Urbino. Italian experts believe that in a crowd of listeners shows Bessarion and Sofia Palaeologus (3rd and 4th characters left). Gallery of the province of Marche, Urbino. Travel itinerary was as follows: to the north of Italy, via Germany, to the port of Lübeck they arrived on September 1. (I had to drive around Poland, through which travelers usually followed by Russia by land - in this moment she was with Ivan III in a state of conflict). Voyage through the Baltic Sea took 11 days. The ship landed in Kolyvan (now Tallinn), where a tuple in October 1472 followed by Yuriev (now Tartu), Pskov and Novgorod. November 12, 1472 Sofia moved into Moscow. Even while traveling brides Russian lands became obvious that the Vatican plans to make it a conductor of Catholicism have failed as Sofia immediately demonstrated a return to the faith of their ancestors. Papal legate Anthony was denied the opportunity to drive to Moscow, bringing to a Latin cross. The wedding took place in Russia in 1912 (21) November 1472 in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow. Metropolitan Philip married them (in Sofia vremennik - Kolomna priest Hosea). [ edit ] Life in Marriage

Ivan III Vasilevich. Engraving from "Cosmographia A. Teve, 1575 Family Life of Sofia, is likely to be successful, as svidetelstvet numerous offspring. For her in Moscow were built special mansions and courtyard, but they soon, in 1493, burned and destroyed during the fire and the treasury of the Grand Duchess.

Painting N. S. Pasha, "John III overthrew the Tatar yoke , breaking the image of Khan and ordered to kill the ambassadors "(1862) Tatishchev conveys evidence that though, thanks to the intervention of Sofia, was dropped by Ivan III Tatar yoke: when the council discussed the request of Grand Duke Khan Akhmat tribute, and many said that it was better to appease the wicked gifts, than to shed blood, though Sofia bitter tears and the reproaches urged spouse to end the tributary relationship. Before the invasion of Achmat in 1480, for the sake of safety, children, court, noblewoman and the princely treasury Sofia was sent first to Dmitrov, and then on Beloozero , in the case, if Ahmad goes Oku and take Moscow, she was told to flee further north to the sea. This gave rise Vissarion, the master of Rostov, in his letters to warn the Grand Duke of constant doom and excessive attachment to his wife and children. In one of the chronicles says that Ivan had panicked: "horror Naidu on hemoglobin and vshote bezhati from the shores, and its Grand Duchess and The Roman treasury with her ​​ambassador to Beloozero" [3]. The family returned to Moscow only in winter. The Venetian ambassador Contarini said that he was in 1476 presented the Grand Duchess Sophia, which took him politely and kindly and earnestly requested the bow from her Most Serene Republic.

"The vision of st. Sergei Radonezhsky great Moscow Princess Sofia Palaeologus. " Lithography. Workshop of the Trinity Sergius Lavra. 1866 There is a legend associated with the birth of Sophia's son Vasili III, heir to the throne: that would be during one of the pious trips to the Trinity Sergius Lavra in Klementievo, Grand Duchess Sophia Palaeologus had a vision of St. Sergius , which "cast into the depths of her Founding of the Young males sex " [4]. [ edit ] Dynastic problems and rivalry Over time, the second marriage of Grand Duke was one of the sources of tension in the court. Soon enough there were two factions at court nobles, one of which supported the heir to the throne - Ivan Ivanovich, Young, and the second - the new Grand Duchess Sophia Palaeologus. In 1476 the Venetian A. Contarini noted that the successor "in the doghouse with his father, so how badly it behaves with Despina (Sophia) [5] However, since 1477 Mr. Smith referred to as co-ruler of his father. In subsequent years the grand prince's family has increased significantly: Sophia gave birth to the Grand Duke, a total of nine children - five sons and four daughters. Meanwhile, in January 1483 and married the heir to the throne, Ivan Young. His wife was the daughter of the Ruler of Moldavia Stephen the Great, Helen Voloshanka immediately caught-in-law "at loggerheads". October 10, 1483 they had a son , Dmitry . After the accession of Tver in 1485 by Ivan Young appointed by his father Prince of Tver, in one of the sources of that time Ivan III and Ivan Young referred to as the "autocrat of the Russian land." Thus, for all the 1480-ies the position of Ivan Ivanovitch as the rightful heir was quite strong. The position of the supporters of Sophia Palaeologus was much less profitable. In particular, the grand duchess could not get public positions for their relatives, and her brother Andrew departed from Moscow with nothing, and niece Mary, wife of Prince Vassily Verey (heir Vereiskaya-Belozersky principality), was forced to flee to Lithuania with her ​​husband that affected the situation of Sophia. According to sources, Sophia, arranging the marriage of her niece and Prince Vasili Verey, in 1483 gave the relative jewel - "fathom" with pearls and jewels which belonged before the first wife of Ivan III, Mary Borisovna. The Grand Duke, who wished to bestow "fathoms" Helen Voloshanku, discovering the loss decorations, angry, and ordered the search. Basil Verey did not wait for action against him and, taking his wife, fled to Lithuania. One result of this history has been a shift Vereiskaya-Belozersky principality of Ivan III to the specific bequest of Prince Michael Verey, the father of Basil [6] [7]. Only in 1493 Sofia procured Basil favor of Grand Duke: opal has been withdrawn. However, by 1490 will take effect the new circumstances. Son of Grand Duke, heir to the throne, Ivan fell ill "kamchyugoyu in feet ( gout ). Sophie was discharged from Venice healer - "Mystra Leon, who confidently promised to Ivan III heal heir to the throne, however, all efforts of doctors were powerless, and March 7, 1490 Ivan Young died. The doctor was executed, and Moscow rumors of poisoning heir, a hundred years, these rumors, this time as indisputable facts, wrote Andrew Kurbsky. Modern historians refer to the hypothesis of poisoning Ivana Young as unverifiable for lack of sources. February 4, 1498 at the Assumption Cathedral in an atmosphere of great splendor of the coronation took place prince Dmitry. Sofia and her son Basil was not invited. However, 11 April 1502 the dynastic struggle came to its logical conclusion. According to the Chronicle, Ivan III «put a disgrace to the grandson of Grand Duke Dmitreya and his mother to the Grand Duchess Helen, and from that day had not commanded them pominati a litany and litiah nor naritsati Grand Duke, and ask them to sit for the bailiffs." A few days later Vasily Ivanovich was awarded the Grand Principality, Dmitri soon-grandson and his mother Helen Voloshanka were transferred from house arrest to prison. Thus, the struggle within the family ended in victory for the grand prince Vasily, he became co-ruler of his father and the legitimate heir of a huge empire. Dmitry drop-grandson and his mother also has predetermined the fate of the Moscow-Novgorod Reform Movement in the Orthodox Church: Church Council in 1503 finally defeated her, and many prominent progressive activists of the movement were executed. As for the fate of the losers themselves dynastic struggle, it was sad: 18 January 1505 died in captivity Elena Stefanovna, and in 1509 "in Nouzha in tyurme" died and Dmitry himself. "Some believe that he died from cold and hunger, others - that he had suffocated from the smoke" - reported Herberstein about his death [8]. [ edit ] Death

The transfer of the remains of Grand Duchess and queens before the destruction of the Ascension Monastery, 1929 She died on 7 April 1503, two years before her husband's death (he died on Oct. 27, 1505). She was buried in the massive white stone sarcophagus in the tomb of the Ascension Cathedral in the Kremlin next to the tomb of Mary Borisovny, the first wife of Ivan III. On the sarcophagus lid scratched with a sharp instrument "Sophia" [9]. This cathedral was destroyed in 1929, and the remains of Sophia, as well as other women, the reigning houses have been moved to an underground chamber of the southern extension of the Archangel Cathedral.

Nature
Byzantine princess not popular, it was considered smart, but proud, cunning and insidious. Hostility to it has affected even in the annals: for example, about her return to Beloozero, the chronicler says: "The Grand Duchess Sophia ... ran from the Tatar for Beloozero, not chasing anybody does, and that countries attended, the Forest Tatars -from the knights slaves from the bloodsuckers of Christian. Give the same to them, O Lord, for their business and by the trickery of their undertakings " [10].

Shroud of the Trinity Sergius Lavra Disgraced secretary to the Duma people Vasily III Bersenyev Beklemishev in an interview with Maxim the Greek was talking about it this way: "the land of our Russian lived in silence and in peace. I came here the mother of Grand Duke Sophia with your Greeks, so our land and mixed up and came to us nestroenija great as you have in King City, with the kings of your ". Maxim replied: "Sir, the Grand Duchess Sophia on both sides was a great race: the father - the royal family and on his mother - the Grand Duke of Italian side." Bersenev replied: "Whatever it may be, yes to our strife came." Discord is it, according to Bersenev, said that since that time "the old customs Grand Prince changed", "now our Emperor shut himself thirds of the bed makes all sorts of things" [10]. Especially strict with Sophia Prince Andrew Kurbsky. He is convinced that "In predobry Russian princes born of all the devil evil manners, chiefly as the wives of their evil and charodeytsami, As in izrailsteh tsareh more than the same which poimovali from strangers; accuses Sofia of poisoning John Young, the death of Helena, in the conclusion of Dmitry, Prince Andrew Uglich and others disdainfully calls her Greek women, Greek "charodeytsey. In the Trinity-Sergius monastery kept silk veil, sewn hands of Sofia in 1498, to veil embroidered with her name, and she does not call himself the Grand Duchess of Moscow, and "Princess tsaregorodskoy. Apparently, she had a high opinion his former rank, if you remember him, even after 26 years of marriage.

Appearance
Sophia Palaiologina is said to have been monstruosly ugly and to have weighed 25 stones (350 pounds or 160 kg),. When in 1472 Clarice Orsini (c.1453-1488), and court poet of her husband, Lorenzo the Magnificent, has sent him a report about this event and the exterior of the bride:

.

To recall the Bologna chroniclers who described the passage of the procession through the city, she was not tall, have very beautiful eyes and amazing white leather [10]. On her mind, they gave her 24 years. In December 1994, in Moscow, began the study of the remains of the princess. They are well preserved (nearly complete skeleton with the exception of some small bones). Criminologist Sergei Nikitin, restored her appearance on the method of Gerasimov , points out: "After comparing the skull, spine, sacrum, pelvis and lower extremities, taking into account the approximate thickness of missing soft tissue and intercostals cartilage, we found out that Sophia was not very tall, about 160 cm, stout, strong-willed features. By the degree of encrustation skull sutures and worn teeth biological age of the Grand Duchess was defined as 50-60 years, which corresponds to the historical data. Initially, her sculptural portrait fashioned from a special soft clay, and then produced a plaster cast and tone it under the Carrara marble " [9]. Features of the "Mediterranean" anthropological type [11] in the exterior of Ivan the Terrible and his resemblance to my grandmother's paternal finally denied rumors that his mother Helen Glinskaya bore him from her lover.

Sofia, the reconstruction of the skull

Vasily III, the son of Sophia

Ivan IV, the grandson of Sophia

Role in History
There are different versions about the role of Sofia Palaeologus in the history of the Russian state: From Western Europe were caused by artists and architects to decorate the palace and the capital. Build new churches, new palaces. Italian Alberti (Aristotle) ​​Fioraventi built cathedrals of the Assumption and the Annunciation. Moscow embellished Faceted Chamber, the towers of the Kremlin, the palace Terem, built, was finally and Archangel Cathedral. Introduced for the sake of the marriage of his son Vasily III Byzantine tradition - parade of brides. Third Rome

Children

 * Helen (or Anna) (1474), died in infancy
 * Elena (1475), died in infancy
 * Theodosia ( 1475 -?).
 * Elena Ivanovna ( 19 May 1476 - 1513 ) - the wife of Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Alexander Jagiellon.
 * Grand Prince of Moscow Vasily III ( 25 March 1479 - 3 December 1533 )
 * Yuri Ivanovich ( 23 March 1480 - 1536 ) - Prince of Dmitrov.
 * Dmitry Vein ( 6 October 1481 - 14 February 1521 ) - Prince of Uglich.
 * Evdokia (February 1483/ok. 1492 - 1513 ) - January 25, 1506 wife of the Tatar prince Khudai Kula (Kudaykula), baptism of Peter Ibrahimovic.
 * Helen (April 8, 1484 -?)
 * Theodosia ( 29 May 1485 - 12 February 1505 ) - c 1500, wife of the prince and governor of Moscow Vasily Danilovich Kholmsk.
 * Simeon I. ( 21 March 1487 - 26 June 1518 ) - Prince of Kaluga.
 * Andrew Starytskyi ( 5 August 1490 - 11 December 1537 ) - Prince Starytskyi [6].

By the middle of XVII century, all of her offspring died down. Remains unknown but the fate of possible offspring of her great-great-granddaughter Anastasia Mstislav and Simeon Bekbulatovich. [ edit ] In art

Literature
Nikolai Spassky, the novel "Byzantine." The action takes place in Italy XV century against the consequences of the fall of Constantinople. The protagonist is intriguing to Zoe Palaeologus of the Russian Tsar. George Leonardos, the novel "Sofia Palaeologus - from Byzantium to Russia." in painting and graphics: As indicated by the dictionary 19 th century, there is a mural, on which, in those deprived of the throne of princes surrounding Pope Sixtus IV, placed and Sophia, "but judging by the costumes, this image is probably not done in the XV century. And much later" [10]. Abeghian, Mher Manukovich (1909-1978). Figure "Wedding of Ivan III of the Byzantine Princess Sophia".