# Ghisolfi > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ghisolfi > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ghisolfi.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghisolfi > Source revision: 1346542283 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Genoese-Jewish family}} '''De Ghisolfi''' (also known as '''de Guizolfi''', '''de Gisolfi''', '''Guigursis,''' '''Guilgursis''' and '''Giexulfis''') was the name of a [Genoese](/source/Genoa)-[Jew](/source/Jew)ish family prominent in the late [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages) and the early [Renaissance](/source/Renaissance). In 1419, the Genoese Jew '''Simeone de Ghisolfi''' married a reigning princess of the municipality of [Tmutarakan](/source/Tmutarakan) on the [Taman Peninsula](/source/Taman_Peninsula) named [Bikhakhanim](/source/Bikhakhanim), and took possession of this area, most likely centred on the town of [Matrega](/source/Matrega).Richard Löwe, Die Reste der Germanen am Schwarzen Meere, p. 42, Halle, 1896. The de Ghisolfi clan ruled this principality as a [protectorate](/source/protectorate) of the Genoese [consulate](/source/consulate) of [Gazaria](/source/Gazaria_(Genoese_colonies)) for much of the 15th century. In 1453, the [Republic of Genoa](/source/Republic_of_Genoa) ceded its Crimean possessions to the [Bank of St. George](/source/Bank_of_Saint_George_(Genoa)), a private enterprise to which it was heavily in debt. The Ghisolfi family continued to rule Matrega and the surrounding region on behalf of the Bank. Through such intermediaries as [Khozi Kokos](/source/Khozi_Kokos), they maintained relations with the rulers of [Muscovy](/source/Grand_Principality_of_Moscow) and other [Russian principalities](/source/Russian_principalities). == Zacharias de Ghisolfi == A descendant of Simeone, '''Zacharias de Ghisolfi''' was the prince and ruler of the [Taman peninsula](/source/Taman_peninsula) from about 1480. Beset by the [Ottoman Empire](/source/Ottoman_Empire) (which was then in the process of reducing the [Girai Khanate](/source/Girai_Khanate) and the [Italian](/source/Italy) possessions in the Crimea to tributary status) in 1482, Zacharias and his subjects, a mixed population of [Jews](/source/Jews), [Italians](/source/Italian_people), [Greeks](/source/Greek_people), [Circassians](/source/Circassians), [Tatars](/source/Tatars) and [Slavs](/source/Slavs), were compelled to retire from Matrega and sought refuge on the island of Matrice. On August 12 of that year, Zacharias informed the directors of the Bank of Saint George in Genoa of his position, and requested for 1,000 [ducats](/source/ducats) with which to retain the friendship of his allies, the [Crimean Goths](/source/Crimean_Goths) of [Feodoro](/source/Feodoro), who had exhausted his resources; he stated that unless he received the support of the republic, he would move to [Wallachia](/source/Wallachia), where the [voivode](/source/voivode) had offered him a castle. ===Contact with Muscovy=== Notwithstanding the fact that the Turks had captured [Tana](/source/Tanais) ([Azov](/source/Azov)) and most of the settlements in [Gazaria](/source/Gazaria_(Genoese_colonies)), Ghisolfi continued the war from Matrice, but with only a small measure of success. Learning that he had expressed a desire to come to Russia, and glad of an opportunity to ally with the Circassians and other peoples resisting Ottoman incursions, [Ivan III](/source/Ivan_III) of Muscovy directed Prince Nozdrevaty, his ambassador to the [Crimean Tatar](/source/Crimean_Tatars) [khan](/source/Khan_(title)) [Meñli I Giray](/source/Me%C3%B1li_I_Giray), to forward a message "sealed with the gold seal" to Zacharias the Jew, at [Caffa](/source/Caffa). This message, dated March 14, 1484, and forwarded by Luka and Prince Vasili, both court dignitaries, reads as follows: {{quote|text=By the grace of God the great ruler of the Russian country, the [Grand Duke](/source/Veliki_Knyaz) Ivan Vassilivich, [Czar](/source/Czar) of [all the Russias](/source/all_the_Russias), ... to Skariya the Hebrew. You have written to us through Gabriel Petrov, our guest, that you desire to come to us. It is our wish that you do so. When you are with us we will give you evidence of our favourable disposition toward you. If you wish to serve us, our desire will be to confer distinction upon you; but should you not wish to remain with us and prefer to return to your own country, you shall be free to go ...Raisin 23, at fn. 12; ''see also'' ''Sbornik Imperatorskavo Ruskavo Istoricheskavo Obschestva,'' xli. 40. For a second message, dated Oct. 18, 1487, see ib. p. 71).}} ===Departure for Moscow=== From a despatch in [Latin](/source/Latin) from [Conario](/source/Conario) on the [Kuban River](/source/Kuban_River), dated June 8, 1487, and signed "Zachariah Guigursis", it is clear that Zacharias, intending to accept Ivan's hospitality, started for Moscow, but while on the way was robbed and tortured by [Stefan](/source/Stephen_III_of_Moldavia), the voivode of [Moldavia](/source/Moldavia); upon his release, he returned home. Notwithstanding this experience, Ghisolfi and his men declared themselves ready to join Ivan provided that guides were furnished them. Replying to this despatch, March 18, 1488, the Muscovite prince repeated his invitation, and informed Ghisolfi that he had notified [Dmitry Shein](/source/Dmitry_Shein), his ambassador at the Crimean court, that he had requested khan [Meñli I Giray](/source/Me%C3%B1li_I_Giray) to send to [Cherkassy](/source/Cherkassy) two men to guide Ghisolfi to Moscow. He directed Shein to add to this number a [Tatar](/source/Tatars) from his own suite. ===Fate=== Several years passed before guides were sent, but in the spring of 1496 they reached the mouth of the [Miyusha](/source/Miyusha) and [Taigana](/source/Taigana) rivers, where Zacharias was to meet them four weeks after [Easter](/source/Easter). It had been arranged that in the event of either party reaching the rendezvous before the other, the first should wait until [Whitsuntide](/source/Whitsuntide), and if need be until [Peter and Paul's Day](/source/Feast_of_Saints_Peter_and_Paul). The guides waited until [St. Nicholas](/source/St._Nicholas)' Day (Dec. 6), when they learned that Ghisolfi was unable to advance on account of disturbances among his people, for "the man Zacharias is substantial, his family is great, and probably it is difficult to induce them to move." In his report to Ivan, the Crimean ambassador declared that, out of friendship for Muscovy, the khan Meñli I Giray would take Ghisolfi under his protection, but expressed concern due to Ghisolfi's having antagonized the Turks, who were the khan's overlords.ib. pp. 77-114. From subsequent events, it is evident that Ghisolfi entered the service of the khan, for further negotiations were carried on, and in April 1500, Ivan, instructing his ambassador, refers to Ghisolfi as "Zacharias the Fryazin,"i.e., "the Italian". who had lived in [Circassia](/source/Circassia) and is now in the service of [Meñli I Giray](/source/Me%C3%B1li_I_Giray), but who never reached Russia."ib. p. 309. ===Analysis=== Ivan's repeated invitations to Ghisolfi seem to indicate that he hoped the latter's services would be valuable to him in extending Russian influence on the [Black Sea](/source/Black_Sea). Yet it is strange that during a period of more than eighteen years Ghisolfi did not succeed in reaching Russia. Whether the fact that Ghisolfi was a Jew had anything to do with the impediments put in his way, it is difficult to ascertain, for no mention of him is to be found in Jewish writings. The different spellings of Zachariah's name in [Italian](/source/Italian_language) and [Russian](/source/Russian_language) documents—"Guizolfi," "Guigursis," and "Guilgursis"—may be attributed to errors of the Russian scribes. ==See also== *[Buscarello de Ghizolfi](/source/Buscarello_de_Ghizolfi) ==References== ==Resources== *Löwe, Richard. ''Die Reste der Germanen am Schwarzen Meere'', p. 42, Halle, 1896. *[Raisin, Jacob S.](/source/Jacob_S._Raisin) ''[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/15921/15921-h/15921-h.htm The Haskalah Movement in Russia]''. Philadelphia: [Jewish Publication Society of America](/source/Jewish_Publication_Society_of_America), 1913. p. 23. *[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=493&letter=G&search=guizolfi Rosenthal, Herman. "Guizolfi, Zacharias de."] ''[Jewish Encyclopedia](/source/Jewish_Encyclopedia)''. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906; citing: :*''Atti della Società Ligure di Storia Patria'', iv. 127, 128, Genoa, 1866; :*Löwe, ''Die Reste der Germanen am Schwarzen Meere'', pp. 42, 86, 89, Halle, 1896; :*''Sbornik Gosudarstvennykh Gramot i Dogovorov'', ii. 24. == Further reading == * {{cite journal | last=Khvalkov | first=E. | title=The Guizolfi Family: Brokers in the Medieval Black Sea Space | journal=The World of the Orient | volume=2019 | issue=3 | date=2019-09-30 | doi=10.15407/orientw2019.03.031 | doi-access=free | page=31-45 | url=https://oriental-world.org.ua/sites/default/files/Archive/2019/3/5.pdf }} {{Republic of Genoa}} {{JewishEncyclopedia|title=Guizolfi (Giezulfis), Zacharias de|volume=6|pages=107–108|last=Rosenthal|first=Herman}} Category:Jewish Russian and Soviet history Category:Jewish-Italian families Category:Republic of Genoa families Category:Medieval Crimea Category:History of Kuban Category:Families of Genoa --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ghisolfi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghisolfi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghisolfi?action=history)). 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