Alexandru Callimachi


Alexandru Callimachi was Prince of Moldavia during the period of 6 May 1795 through 18 March 1799.

Early years

Alexandru Callimachi was born in Constantinople. His family were an established Moldavian-Greek Phanariote boyar and princely house. He was the son of Ioan Teodor Callimachi, Prince of Moldavia, and Raliţa Chrisoscoleo. Alexandru had three siblings: Grigore Callimachi, Prince of Moldavia; sister, Sevastiţa, who married Mihai Suţu, Prince of Moldavia; and sister, Maria. His uncle Gavriil Callimachi was a monk at Putna Monastery before he founded the St. George Cathedral in Iaşi.

Career

Callimachi served as Grand Dragoman of the Sublime Porte from 1785 to 1794. He gained the title of Prince of Moldavia in 1795. After Callimachi was deposed, he was succeeded by son-in-law Constantine Ypsilantis.
With his reign over, Callimachi retired to Constantinople.

Personal life

Callimachi sealed a matrimonial alliance with his marriage to Elena Ghika, daughter of Scarlat Ghika Vodǎ, Prince of Moldavia and Prince of Wallachia. They had four children. Their oldest was daughter, Ralu, who married Ypsilantis in 1783. Their first son, the hospodar Scarlat Callimachi, was Prince of Moldavia at three different times, while Scarlat's son Alexandros was conferred the Ottoman title of Bala in June 1861, the first Christian to be so honored. They had two younger children, daughter, Eufrosina, and son, Ioan.
Callimachi died in Bolu in 1821, the same year that Phanariote rule ended with the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.