, who was a kephale of Kanina in 1368, was the first member of the Kastrioti family mentioned in historical documents. In the 14th century, Kastrioti family was one of the less powerful noble families in Albania, whose power and influence was far less than those of Thopia, Dukagjini, Balšići or Arianiti. According to Kabashi, the Kastrioti were first mentioned in 1394. Kabashi explains that Turkish sources say that the family originated from Kastrat in north Albania. According to Malcolm, they originate from western Kosovo. According to several historians, their surname has its origin in the Greek word kastro.
Elevation to nobility
The Kastrioti, unlike the Thopia and the Arianiti, did not have a long history as nobility. The first nobleman mentioned in historical sources was either Pal Kastrioti, the lord of Sinë and Lower Gardi, or a kephale Kastrioti, who was the kephale of Kanina found in 1368 sources. Pal Kastrioti had three sons: Konstantin, Alexius and Gjon Kastrioti who was Skanderbeg's father. Aleksa Kastrioti controlled three villages. Konstantin Kastrioti was protovestiar of Sina near Durrazo. According to Venetian document discovered by Karl Hopf his title was Lord of Cerüja castle. Pal held a small area of Sinja and Lower Gardi. His son, John Kastrioti, became the lord of Matia. He managed to expand his territory but was ultimately subdued by the invading Ottomans. The most notable member was George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, declared an Albanian national hero, renowned in Albanian folklore for his fight against the Ottoman forces.
After the fall of Albania to the Ottomans the Kingdom of Naples gave land and noble title to Skanderbeg's family, the Kastrioti. His family were given control over the Duchy of San Pietro in Galatina and the County of Soleto in the Province of Lecce, Italy. His son, Gjon Kastrioti II, married Jerina Branković, daughter of Serbian Despot Lazar Branković and one of the last descendants of the Palaiologos. Two lines of the Castriota family lived in southern Italy, one of which descended from Pardo Castriota Scanderbeg and the other from Achille Castriota Scanderbeg, who were both biological sons of Ferrante, the son of Gjon Kastrioti II and his wife Jerina. They were highly ranked Italian nobility and members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The only legitimate daughter of Duke Ferrante, Irene Castriota Scanderbeg, born to Andreana Acquaviva d'Aragona from the Nardò dukes, inherited the Castriota paternal estate, bringing the Duchy of Galatina and County of Soleto into the Sanseverino family after her marriage with Prince Pietrantonio Sanseverino. They had a son, Nicolò Bernardino Sanseverino. Through the female lines, his descendants include the ruling families of Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria-Hungary, Prussia, Serbia, and some members of the British royal family. Other prominent modern descendants include Filippo Castriota, collaborator of Ismail Qemali, founder of modern Albania and author Giorgio Maria Castriota.
