Maria Despina


Maria Despina, also known as Doamna Maria or Mary, was an Albanian princess who became Princess Consort of Wallachia through her marriage to Radu the Handsome. She was the daughter of Prince Gjergj Arianiti, a leading figure in the anti-Ottoman resistance in Albania. Captured during the Moldavian invasion of Wallachia in 1473, she spent the remainder of her life in Moldavia, where she became the mother-in-law of Stephen the Great and was later buried at Putna Monastery.

Life and marriage

Maria, born around the 1440s, was the daughter of Gjergj Arianiti, a prominent Albanian noble and military leader active in the resistance against the Ottoman Empire. The identity of her mother is unknown, although her father was married to Maria Muzaka, daughter of Andrea III Muzaka, but it is not explicitly stated whether she was Maria’s mother. One source identifies Maria as the sister of Angjelina Arianiti, whose mother was Maria Muzaka, and, since it does not distinguish them as half-siblings, this strengthens the claim that Maria Muzaka was also Maria Despina’s mother. Beyond these familial ties, details of Maria's early life remain scarce.
Maria Despina married Radu the Handsome, Prince of Wallachia, around 1462, likely at the beginning of his reign. During her tenure as princess consort, Wallachia was a contested frontier principality, caught between Ottoman influence and regional powers. On 24 November 1473, Stephen the Great of Moldavia launched a decisive campaign against Radu, defeating his forces and briefly taking control of Wallachia. As a result, Maria Despina and her daughter Maria Voichița were captured and brought to Moldavia.
According to the Anonymous Chronicle of Moldavia, on 24 November 1473, after occupying Bucharest, Stephen the Great: "took also the wife of Voivode Radu and his daughter, who was his only born child, along with all his treasures, all his garments, and all his flags."
Following their capture, Maria Despina and her daughter were held in Moldavia, where they became part of the Moldavian princely court. Despite her origins as Wallachian princess consort, historical records about her life and role largely emerge from Moldavian sources, reflecting her changed circumstances after 1473. Although Radu the Handsome regained the Wallachian throne multiple times, there is no record of him requesting the return of his wife and daughter. However, each regain of the throne was for a short period with ongoing conflict and he had died by 1475. Maria Despina and her daughter remained in Moldavia until their deaths.
In 1478, five years after her capture, Maria Despina’s daughter, Maria Voichița, married Stephen the Great as his third wife.

Later life and death

After her capture in 1473, Maria Despina lived at the Moldavian court for over 26 years. She eventually retired to monastic life and was buried wearing the garb of a nun. According to Moldavian chronicles, she died on May 11, 1500, and was buried with honor at Putna Monastery. Although her tomb has been lost, her inscribed tomb cover remains, and she is remembered in the necrology of Bistrița Monastery.

Origins and historical debate

The origins of Maria Despina, wife of Radu the Handsome, are uncertain and have been debated by historians. Early views placed her in the Serbian nobility due to the title “Despina,” but later theories suggested possible Byzantine imperial ancestry linked to the Asan and Palaiologos families. However, these connections were mostly disproven. The most supported theory, proposed by historian Ștefan S. Gorovei, identifies her as a daughter of the Albanian noble Gjergj Arianiti, connecting her to a prominent Albanian family that resisted the Ottoman Empire. Archival documents from the 1470s refer to "Despina" in relation to Albania, supporting this view. This Albanian origin also helps explain Moldavian ruler Stephen the Great’s support for the Albanian Tower, as documents from the Hilandar archives show that Stephen and his wife Maria donated to this holy site.

Family

Maria Despina married Radu the Handsome. The couple had one child: