Who was Sophia Palaiologina and when did she live?
Sophia Palaiologina was the Grand Princess of Moscow from 1472 to 1503. She entered the world in 1449 within the Morea as the daughter of Thomas Despot of the Morea and Catherine Zaccaria.
Questions about Sophia Palaiologina
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Sophia Palaiologina arrive in Moscow after her marriage to Ivan III?
Sophia Palaiologina arrived in Moscow on the 12th of November 1472 after traveling through Lübeck and Reval. Her wedding took place at St. Peter's Basilica on the 1st of June 1472 with Ivan Fryazin serving as proxy for Ivan III.
How many children did Sophia Palaiologina have during her time in Russia?
Between 1474 and 1490 Sophia Palaiologina gave birth to eleven children including five sons and six daughters. Her eldest son Vasili became the father of Ivan IV who later became the first crowned tsar of all Russia.
What happened to Sophia Palaiologina after her husband died in 1505?
Sophia Palaiologina died on the 7th of April 1503 two years before her husband who passed away on the 27th of October 1505. She was buried in a massive white stone sarcophagus within the crypt of the Ascension Convent until Soviet authorities demolished that site in 1929.