However, they did not forget their Greek roots and kept close relations, not only with the Constantinopolitan Greeks but also with the Greek diaspora from Italy, and these connections had an impact on their patronage. The foundation of their artistic patronage was not only their wealth and ambition but, importantly, their large network of powerful and influential family members.Įstablished in Moldavia and then in Wallachia, the descendants of the once powerful archon Michael Kantakouzenos adapted quickly to the new cultural environment and, through well-planned marital alliances, became part of the local elites. In the same manner as Konstantinos Korniaktos in Lemberg (Lwów Lviv), 2 they left behind an impressive legacy of great artistic value through manifold forms of patronage, a remarkable example of how cultural “switching” systems assimilated, translated, and linked cultures between the Greek East, the Latin West, and the Ottoman Orient.
Three generations of this family, whose members considered themselves the descendants of Byzantine basileis, contributed to an era of flourishing arts in the region where they settled in the early seventeenth century. The patronage of the Cantacuzino family marked an outstanding period in Wallachia 1 from many perspectives.
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