| Arvanitakis | |
| Native Name: | Αρβανιτάκης Arvanitachi |
| Coat Of Arms: | Arvanitachi coat of arms.png |
| Coat Of Arms Size: | 200px |
| Coat Of Arms Caption: | Arvanitakis family coat of arms created in the 17th century |
| Origin: | Kingdom of Candia, Republic of Venice (now Greece) |
| Country: | Republic of Venice |
| Region: | Crete Corfu Paxos Kefalonia Zakinthos |
| Founded: | 15th century |
| Founder: | Giannaris Drakos-Arvanitakis |
| Distinctions: | Entered in the Libro d'Oro of: |
| Traditions: | Iconographer-priests |
The Arvanitakis family (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Αρβανιτάκης) or Arvanitachi is Cretan family also found in the Ionian Islands and elsewhere in Greece. The family are particularly famous for the many generations of iconographer-priests which they produced. Other members of the family were soldiers, statesmen, merchants, doctors and lawyers.
The name 'Arvanitakis' (or 'Arvanitachi' in Venetian) is a nickname meaning 'little Arvanite', which dates from the days of Venetian service and was adopted in Crete in the 15th century.[1] The first member of the family to adopt the surname was Giannaris Drakos-Arvanitakis, a mercenary stradioti captain in the Republic of Venice. He was granted land in Vleroma in Crete in return for his military service and entered the Venetian nobility known by his nickname 'Arvanitakis', which gradually became Italianizied as 'Arvanitachi'.[2] [3]
The family fought for the Republic of Venice throughout all of the Ottoman-Venetian wars until the Ottoman capture of Crete in 1669. Some members of the family remained on Crete where they were known as being fierce warlords (captains).[4] Other members of the family moved elsewhere to continue their service to the Venetian Republic. In 1671 the first Arvanitakis arrived in Zakinthos, with other members of the family settling in Paxos and Corfu, all of which were Venetian territories.[1] The family were entered into the Libro d'Oro of Paxos in the 17th century.https://www.translatum.gr/etexts/idoikas/libro.htm They were entered into the Libro d'Oro of Corfu in 1803.[5] They were entered into the Libro d'Oro of Zakinthos on 25 September 1785.[6] The Kefalonia branch, descended from Captain Spiridon Arvanitakis, had their noble status confirmed by the British on 10 February 1841. During the Venetian and British eras the family were educated at Italian universities such as Padua and Pisa and so were culturally more Italian than Greek until the reunification of the Ionian Islands with the Kingdom of Greece in 1862.[7]
The coat of arms of the family used since at least the 17th century are Party per fess argent and azure, two bends counterchanged, with the coronet of a Venetian Patrician.[8]
In 1904, Ludwig Salvator writes how the Arvanitakis family were among the 16 most important families on the island of Zakinthos.[9] The Arvanitakis family had vineyards in Agrilia in Zakinthos and were one of the largest wine producers on the island in the late 19th century.[9] The family also produced their own variety of snuff.[9]
Following the custom of the Venetians, the Arvanitakis family were an urban noble family and had their seat in the main town of Zakinthos. This was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953 but was one of the largest palazzi in the town. It was built in the 18th century in Venetian Palladian style with five doric columns on the ground floor, arched loggia and triglyphs above.[9] The upper two stories were planned in a 'giant' style with large columns extending over the two upper stories. In the atrium of the house was a bust of the Roman emperor Vitellius which survived the earthquake of 1953 and was donated by Dr Giovanni Arvanitachi to the Museum of Zakynthos.[10]
The Zakinthos branch of the family is famous for producing many iconographers. Many of these icons, which are produced in the Heptanese School, remain among the best examples of 17th-18th century icons on the island. Famous members include: Don Pancratio Arvanitachi (fl. 1635); Don Niccolo Arvanitachi (fl. 1718); Don Eustacchio Arvanitachi (fl. 1732–43); Don Pancratio Arvanitachi (18th century) and Don Niccolo Arvanitachi (fl. 1784–87).[1]