Constantine Corniaktos
Encyclopedia
Constantine Korniakt (Greek
: Κωνσταντίνος Κορνιακτός, Konstantinos Korniaktos, Polish
: Konstanty Korniakt, Ukrainian
: Констянтин Корніякт, Russian
: Константин Корнякт, also known as Korniat, Korneadi, Korneades, Carneadi, Coretho, Carinacto) was a Greek merchant
active in Eastern Europe and a leaseholder of royal tolls who collected customs duty on behalf of the king. During his lifetime he was the wealthiest man in Lviv
and even owned numerous villages. He was a wholesale merchant and founder of the Korniakt family dynasty.
descent in the city of Candia
, Crete in 1517. He migrated to Constantinople
at a young age, later migrating to Wallachia
, and he eventually settled in the city of Lviv
, where he took over a business of his older brother Michael. The kings of Poland awarded him a number of privileges and nobility.
Constantine Korniakt dealt with international trade, especially from the Ottoman Empire
and countries in Germany. He became a merchant and traded in wine
, cloth, cotton, honey, hides and furs and soon became very wealthy, even lending money to the kings of Poland, such as Sigismund II Augustus
.
Korniakt was a patron of architecture and built a magnificent house near the market, which later was rebuilt by John III Sobieski
and is now known as the Korniakt Palace. He also expanded the Wallachian church and funded its famous tower. He was an ardent follower of the Orthodox Church and defended its interests maintaining friendly relations with other Christian denominations.
Around 1575 he married Anna Dzieduszycka, and soon had children. His sons were Alexander, Constantine (father of Captain Charles Francis) and Michael Korniakt, his daughters were Katarzyna Korniaktówna, Anna, whom married Jan "Gratus" Tarnowski, Sophia, who married Abraham and Catherine Hubert and after his death, she married the governor of Rus, Duke Jarema Wisniowiecki.
Constantine Korniakt died in 1603, his son subsequently sold part of his estate an land in Lviv
, and his brother Alexander Korniaktow left and moved to the property he inherited from his parents in Przemysl. He was owner of three residences in the villages Sośnica, Złotowice and Białoboki, the latter being chosen for the family. In 1610 the construction of the castle began.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Κωνσταντίνος Κορνιακτός, Konstantinos Korniaktos, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
: Konstanty Korniakt, Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
: Констянтин Корніякт, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Константин Корнякт, also known as Korniat, Korneadi, Korneades, Carneadi, Coretho, Carinacto) was a Greek merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
active in Eastern Europe and a leaseholder of royal tolls who collected customs duty on behalf of the king. During his lifetime he was the wealthiest man in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
and even owned numerous villages. He was a wholesale merchant and founder of the Korniakt family dynasty.
Biography
Konstantinos Korniaktos was born of GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
descent in the city of Candia
Candia
-Places:* The old Venetian name for Heraklion, Crete* Kingdom of Candia, colony of the Republic of Venice * Candia Canavese, Italy* Candia Lomellina, Italy...
, Crete in 1517. He migrated to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
at a young age, later migrating to Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, and he eventually settled in the city of Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, where he took over a business of his older brother Michael. The kings of Poland awarded him a number of privileges and nobility.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and countries in Germany. He became a merchant and traded in wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, cloth, cotton, honey, hides and furs and soon became very wealthy, even lending money to the kings of Poland, such as Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus I was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the only son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548...
.
Korniakt was a patron of architecture and built a magnificent house near the market, which later was rebuilt by John III Sobieski
John III Sobieski
John III Sobieski was one of the most notable monarchs of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, from 1674 until his death King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. Sobieski's 22-year-reign was marked by a period of the Commonwealth's stabilization, much needed after the turmoil of the Deluge and...
and is now known as the Korniakt Palace. He also expanded the Wallachian church and funded its famous tower. He was an ardent follower of the Orthodox Church and defended its interests maintaining friendly relations with other Christian denominations.
Around 1575 he married Anna Dzieduszycka, and soon had children. His sons were Alexander, Constantine (father of Captain Charles Francis) and Michael Korniakt, his daughters were Katarzyna Korniaktówna, Anna, whom married Jan "Gratus" Tarnowski, Sophia, who married Abraham and Catherine Hubert and after his death, she married the governor of Rus, Duke Jarema Wisniowiecki.
Constantine Korniakt died in 1603, his son subsequently sold part of his estate an land in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, and his brother Alexander Korniaktow left and moved to the property he inherited from his parents in Przemysl. He was owner of three residences in the villages Sośnica, Złotowice and Białoboki, the latter being chosen for the family. In 1610 the construction of the castle began.