A short summary of origin
Article by: Benoît Kanabus
I try to summarize the scattering of our clan, according to the history I know. Please add or emend information according your own family archives and knowledge:
- From 10th (990) to 15th century (1453), the well-known Kanabos noble lineage lived in Constantinople, arround Blachernae area (northwestern section of the city) where is still the church St Demetrios Kanabos (also called St Demetrius Kanabus in Latin, Kanabu's in Turkish, even "Canabée" in French...).
- In 1204-1205, after the Sack of Constantinople by the Latin Crusaders and above all the assassination of Nikolaos Kanabos (or in Latin Nicolaus Kanabus), few Kanabos went to Greece and ended up at Nafpaktia and Mistra.
[- Nikolaos was, we know well it, Sebastos (to render the Roman Imperial title of Augustus), then elected Emperor of Byzantine Empire in 1204. (It's the last known act of the Roman Senate founded in 753 BC...). Nikolaos would be a relative of Angelos Imperial dynasty, founded by Konstantinos Angelos from Philadelphia (1096)…]- In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople and Ottoman occupation, Kanabos family leaved definitively Constantinople to go to Greece.
- But… the last Kanabos living in Constantinople was the Prôtégoros (Lord Mayor) Laskaris Kanabos (1454), a relative of Laskaris and Kantakouzénos Imperial dynasties. His wife was also relative of Constantin XI from Palaiologos dynasty, the last Emperor of Byzance.
- In 1683, after the Battle of Vienna, lost by Ottomans, won by the Polish King John III Sobieski, the Greek private I. Kanabos was prisoner of war in Wilanow (Warsaw). He had descendants, the Kanabus (Latin form of our surname because Polish administration) living actually in Poland. Family estate near Wilanow call “Kanabusowka” - exactly the same name than estate “Kannabeiko” in Ano Hora/Nafpaktia (Greece).
- In 18the century, some Kanabos fleed Ottoman persecutions to Italy where one district of the Reggio Calabria city is called in Calabrian Greek “Kannavo” (phonetically transliterated) or "Cannavo" in Italian. (Warning: I personally don’t know this part of family history and I am curious to get more information).
- In 20th century, some Kanabos (phonetically transliterated Canavos) immigrated to USA from Greece (1930), to Belgium from Poland (1945), to France from Italy (19??)…
- So, Church St Demetrios Kanabos (Constantinople), estate Kannabeiko (Greece), estate Kanabusowka (Poland), district Kannavo (Italy), yes, we will be proud: our clan across the universe.
