Gjon Muzaka

Gjon Muzaka (fl. 1510; Italian: Giovanni Musachi di Berat) was an Albanian nobleman from the Muzaka family, that has historically ruled in the Myzeqe region, Albania.[1] In 1510 he wrote a Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi (Short memoir on the descendants of our Myzeqe lineage). The work was published in Karl Hopf's Chroniques gréco-romaines, Paris 1873, pp. 270–340.[2]

Gjon Muzaka
Prince
Full name
Gjon Gjin Muzaka
Died1515 or later
Noble familyMuzaka family
Spouse(s)Maria Dukagjini
IssueTheodore

Adrian

Constantine

Helena

Porphida
FatherGjin Muzaka
MotherKirana Zardari

According to his memoirs, Gjon's father died before Ottomans captured Berat in 1417.

The memoir of Gjon Muzaka (1515)

His memoir is considered to be the oldest substantial text written by an Albanian. It was originally written in Latin and his name was listed as Giovanni Musachi.[3] In it he mentions several interesting things that were confirmed to have been accurate by Noel Malcolm.[4] Among other things he claims that, according to family history, the name "Musachi" is derived from a corrupted form of the name "Molossachi", ancient tribesmen of Epirus known as the Molossians.[3]

Name

His name is mentioned in sources in several different versions, like John, Giovanni[5] Ivan,[6] and Jovan.[7]

References
  1. Braudel, Fernand (1995). The Mediterranean and the mediterranean world in the age of Philip II, Volume 2. p. 664. ISBN 0-520-20330-5.
  2. "John Musachi: Brief Chronicle on the Descendants of our Musachi Dynasty".
  3. Elsie, Robert (2003). "1515 | John Musachi: Brief Chronicle on the Descendants of our Musachi Dynasty". www.albanianhistory.net. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  4. Noel Malcolm (1998). Kosovo: A Short History. HarperPerennial. p. 62. ISBN 0-06-097775-2.
  5. Robert Elsie (2010). Historical Dictionary of Albania. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 315. ISBN 978-0-8108-6188-6. John Musachi (Ital. Giovanni Musachi)
  6. The complaints of Macedonia: memoranda, petitions, resolutions, minutes, letters and documents, addressed to the League of Nations, 1919-1939. International Documentation on Macedonia. 1979. p. 17. Ivan Musachi
  7. Spiridion Gopčević (1889). Makedonien und Alt-Serbien (in German). L. W. Seidel. p. 305. Jovan Musaki


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