THE HISTORY OF THE COMANICI HOUSE AND FAMILY
The house belonged to the Komanics-Comanici family of nobles since ancient times. The first owner whose name we know indirectly was the priest Ioan Komanits, who in 1796 built the second Church of the Village, now a Historical Monument. The house was inherited by the descendants from father to son: to Mateiu Komanits, Matei Komanits, Matei Ioan Komanits, Ioan Comanici. With Ioan Comanici, the Comanici family line is interrupted on this branch, as he had no living male descendants, his only son dying in World War II. By buying from the last owner who was no longer a blood relative, the Grancea-Stoika family redeemed the Comanici’ inheritance.
Throughout the years, the Comanici family has given to the village and the country people of great value, patriotic people, who lived their lives in harmony with themselves and with those around them, contributing to the good of the nation. Thus, we have a number of famous noblemen in the Făgăraș Country, a whole line of Orthodox priests who served in the village of Veneția de Jos, and last but not least a generation of intellectuals who put their knowledge at the service of others: doctors, attorneys, engineers, teachers, notaries, founders of banks and schools, merchants, philosophers and writers (including Emil Cioran, whose mother comes from the family of the notary Comanici from Veneția de Jos).
The history of the Comanici family is linked to a genealogical inscription engraved in stone (dated 1728) found on the house of Ionascu Monea (from Venetia de Jos), Greek-Catholic Vicar of Făgăraș and Notary Dean of the Great Sobor of Alba Iulia 1700. The inscription is currently at the Valer Literat Museum in the Făgăraș Fortress.
The genealogy of the Comanici family can be traced back to the year 1185, and it turns out that the family is a family of noblemen of long standing, raised to this status by Negru-Voda himself, who gave four valleys and hills, including the lands of today's Venetia, to his treasurer master Grigore the Venetian.
Documents and diplomas of ennoblement of the Comanici family
As it is clear from the genealogy of Ionașcu Monea, the Comanici family has been in these lands since ancient times. Although it is certainly older than the first documentary attestation, we report below the mentions found in the documents of the time, including the diplomas of ennoblement:
- 19.01.1564 – first documentary record,found in the Hurmuzachi document collection: Gheorghe Daczo, high clerk of Făgăraș, wrote to the high clerk of Brașov in 1564, about the sheep of Koman Solomon of Venetia, which would have been partly in the county of Brașov.[1]
Document 19.01.1564 of the first attestation of the name Koman in Veneția (ancestor of the Comanici family)
- 20.04.1628 – first ennoblement diploma (so far known), given by the Transylvanian Prince Gavriil Bethlen as "nova donatio", i.e. recognition of Boyar status based on older charters, to Stojka Solomon and Demetrium Komanics, (descended from Koman- great-great-grandson of Grigore-Venetian; given name Komanics later became family-name Komanicz- Comanici). The latter, as specified in the text of the diploma, "is confirmed in all the privileges, liberties, units and prerogatives enjoyed in ancient times by the true Boyars of Făgăraș County, and in particular is strengthened in his (old) Boyar possessions in Venetia and Cuciulata, with their stagnant belongings, from neighbours and gypsies, from cultivated and uncultivated lands, meadows, pastures, fields, forests, mountains, valleys, waters, streams, swimming pools, milling rights and other such benefits, which they had from their estates and ancestors."
This diploma has unfortunately not been found in the original form (we hope to say "yet"). However, it is mentioned in various other diplomas and transumpts of the Komanics and Stoika family, whose descendants renewed their Boyar status, taking new recognition diplomas, in order not to lose their privileges and estates.
We find the text of the 1628 diploma in the following documents[2]:
-06.03.1669- transumpt issued to Sztan Komanics, son of Barb, this to another Barb, son of Koman, to Dumitru Komanics[3] (copy of the diploma from 1628).
-27.02.1700- diploma of ennoblement from Leopold I, for Ioannes and Nicolaus Sjtojka, (given on the basis of the diploma of 1628 and in which the full text of the diploma of 1628 is mentioned) - original found in the Comanici House.
- 15.06.1718 - reconfirmation of noble status and conferment of coat of arms by Carol VI, Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and Prince of Transylvania for Ioannes (Chief of Boyars in the Principality of Transylvania and in Făgăraș County) and Nicolaus Stoika (the text of the diploma fully replicates the texts of the diplomas of 1628 and 1700)
- 07.05.1831- "Transumptul Gubernial" given by King Francis I to the orthodox priest Matei Comanici (in which the full text of the diploma of 1628 and the transumpt of 1669 is replicated) [4].
Diploma from Leopold I- 27.02.1700-original found in the Comanici House
- 06.03.1669 - Transumpt (copy) for diploma of 20.04.1628 issued by the Archive of the Church Gathering of Alba Transylvania for Sztan Komanits and his good brothers Ioannes and Koman, sons of Barb, son also of Barb, son of Koman, son of Dumitru Koman Komanics alias Solomon of Lower Venice. This transumpt is shown by the priest Matei Comanici in 1831, in order to have a new transumpt made by one of the accredited notaries of King Francis I.
- 08.12.1669 Mihail Appafi, Prince of Transylvania, ennobles Stephanus Komanicz for military merits. The diploma is written on parchment, with Latin text, marked by certain words in gold letters, on which hang, tied with silk threads, the princely wax seals, enclosed in a metal box.
Diploma from Michael Apaffi- 08.12.1669- original found in the Comanici House
Boyar coat of arms of the Comanici family - from the diploma of 08.12.1669
Above the text, in the left-hand corner, the noble insignia is printed in colour, as described in the diploma: "a shield in colour of the sky, in whose field or area can be seen a whole man clothed in a green garment and seated on a black horse holding in his right hand a sword drawn from its sheath; above the shield is a dark ostentatious shield, which is covered by a royal crown adorned with precious stones and beads, and from the top of the helmet, swirling from side to side, ribbons or strips of various colors adorn and adorn the edges of the shield in the most beautiful manner - as all these are more clearly expressed and painted in the head or beginning of the present letter by the skillful hand and art of the Painter'.
Genealogy of the Komanits Family (today Comanici)
From the documents studied so far and the Boyar diplomas given by various Princes of Transylvania, it can be deduced that the genealogy of the Comanici’ family is as follows:
Grigore the Venetian - the treasurer of Negru Voda- 1185
Grigore II -1216
Grigorie
Grigore II – 1250
Koman
………………………
Dumitru Komanics- diploma of ennoblement from Gavriil Bethlen, 20.04.1628
Sztan Komanics – act of recognition of boyar rights 03.06.1669
………………………
Ionașcu Komanics – priest between 1790-1796
– -builds the new Orthodox church
Ioan Komanics – priest between 1796-1805
Mateiu Komanici – priest between 1805 and 1846
- obtains a certificate of recognition of Boer rights on 05.07.1831
- he had two other sons -
- Nicolae – descendants moved to Tg. Secuiesc
- Gheorghe Comaniciu, priest in Venice de Jos, who gave birth to:
- another Gheorghe 1835-1889, priest in Veneția
– Nicolae 1837-1889, teacher in Veneția and
– Iosif 1847-1922, who changed his name to Comanescu; his son, too Iosif Comanescu, was a priest captain in the First World War[5].
Matei Komanits – (1820-1876)
Ioan Matei Komanits – (1836-?)
– receives a diploma of participation in the war of 1866
-married to Ana Comaniciu in 1868[6]; he had two other sons, Pompiliu and Alexandru
(both apparently died in WWI)
-he has two brothers, including the notary Gheorghe Comanici, also known as the "Baron". His son, the lawyer Octavian Comanici, wrote the Monograph of the Village of Venetia de Jos, and one of his daughters Elvira Comanici was the mother of Emil Cioran[7].
Ioan Comaniciu (1878-1953)
– deputy administrator of the "Forest House" and President of the Technical Forestry Council , in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands Bucharest.
– He received various diplomas from the Kings of Romania
Tiberiu Ioan Comanici (1910-1944) – graduate of the Polytechnic School, forestry section; killed in WW II, no descendants.
Delia Maria Comaniciu (1913-1996) – Attorney and Doctor of Legal Sciences; no descendants;
Doina Comaniciu (1934-2013) – engineer, graduate of the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest - Faculty of Electronics and telecommunications; no descendants.
Diploma of participation in the war of 1866 of Ioan Matei Komanits
Ioan Comanici (1878-1953)
Origin of the name Comanici
- Nicolae Densu?ianu în cartea sa ?Dacia Preistoric?? reduce originea numelui Coman la timpurile de zamislire a neamului românesc, la o ramura a pelascilor, numita Coma-ti, care purtau ca semn exterior al demnit??ii ?i valorii lor, “coma” adica plete lungi, formând gintea Comanescigi de la care s-ar fi p?strat ?i numele c?tunelor ?i satelor din partea de apus a României, din Oltenia de azi ?i unele din Transilvania de sud.
- O alta teorie este c? familia ar fi de origine cuman?, bazându-ne ?i pe arborele genalogic, unde g?sim c? familia se trage din Grigore Vene?ianul, vistiernicul lui Negru-Vod?. Istoricul Neagu Djuvara, în cartea sa ?Thocomerius-Negru Vod??, afirma c? “una din capeteniile românilor din regiunea F?g?ra?, cu nume prezumtiv de origine cumana, Toktomer-Thocomerius, poreclit (ulterior?) Negru Vod?, coboar? cu ceata lui în anii 1290, ?i î?i a?az? “scaunul” în ora?ul Câmpulung[1]. Presupunând c? Negru Voda ar fi fost de origine Cuman?, putem spune ca nu ?i-ar fi încredin?at îngrijirea averilor sale decât unui apropiat (Grigore Vene?ianul), om de încredere, ?i el la rândul lui de origine cuman?, ?i deci întreaga spi?? a familiei Comanici ar fi de origine cuman?.
Originea Cuman? a lui Negru Vod? ar putea fi confirmat? de multe izvoare istorice, ?i nu întâmpl?tor Muntenia s-a numit la începuturile ei Cumania. În toponimia Moldovei and Munteniei, dar ?i a Transilvaniei de Sud, au ramas multe locuri care p?streaz? denumiri cum ar fi : Comani, Comana, Comanca, Comanesti, Teleorman, Caracal, Horez, D?rm?nesti, Cozia, Ozun etc., dar ?i numele personal ori de familie cum e cazul nostru: Coman, Comaniciu, Comaneci. Pecenegii ?i cumanii constituiau a?a-numite caste “pastoralo-militare” ?i exist? documente care îi consemneaz? pe pecenegii din zona F?g?ra?ului ca participând adesea, pe lânga atribu?iile lor oficiale de “gr?niceri”, ca mercenari sau voluntari pe lânga saxoni ?i români în armatele diferi?ilor magna?i locali din Transilvania. Se cunoa?te c?, cumanii refugia?i în ?ara F?g?ra?ului, sunt cumani fugi?i din calea lui Genghis Khan sau supravie?uitori ai luptelor cu acesta din sec. XII ?i au fost accepta?i de regii Ungariei cu condi?ia convertirii la catolicism. De altfel, pe teritoriul de azi al a?ez?rii f?g?r??ene Vi?tea de jos a existat chiar o episcopie catolic? a cumanilor. Cumanii ?i pecenegii par a fi convie?uit în simbioz? pa?nic? cu popula?ia valah?/român?, mul?i din ei liberi ?i posesori de diplome nobiliare în ?ara F?g?ra?ului. În timp, au fost asimila?i de popula?ia valah?/roman? sau ungar? din zon?.
[1] Brasov City Archive, Col. Schnell II, no. 168 – from the E. de Hurmuzaki collection, documents from the Transylvanian archives XV, vol.1
[2] Ioan Pușcariu- Historical fragments about the boyars from Tara Făgăraşului- Ed. Soc. Culturale Dragos Vodă, Cluj, 2006, p.169
[3] Nicolae Densusianu- Monument for the history of Tierra Făgăraşului- Typografia Romane Academia, Bucharest 1885, p.146
[4] Ioan Pușcariu - Historical fragments. About the boyars from the country of Făgăraş - Ed. Soc. Culturale Dragoș Vodă, Cluj, 2006, p. 583
[5] Ioan Pușcariu - Historical fragments. About the boyars from the country of Făgăraş - Ed. Soc. Culturale Dragoș Vodă, Cluj, 2006, p. 583
[6] Cumidava Magazine XX- Brașov 1996- "Iosif Comănescu- Mărturisire" by Margareta Spânu, the original work in the archive of the first Romanian school in Schei
[7] Archives of the Orthodox Church of Lower Venice
[8] Mihai Sorin Rădulescu- Genealogii- Ed. Albatross, Bucharest, 1999, p. 150
[9] Neagu Djuvara- Thocomerius-Neru Vodă, Ed. Humanitas, București, 2015
