Ecaterina Cercheza

Doamna Ecaterina Cercheza (c. 1620 – after 1 March 1666) was a Circassian noblewoman who became Princess consort of Moldavia by marriage to Vasile Lupu.^[2][3][4] As reported by Evliya Çelebi, her mother was the sister of Koca Dervish Mehmed Pasha who was the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire from 1653 to 1654, and her sister was married to Islam III Giray, Khan of Crimea (1644–1654).^[5] She played a major role on personal and political decisions of her husband and son Ştefăniţă Lupu.^[3] Well known for her philanthropic activities,^[6] Doamna Ecaterina Cercheza became patron of the Moldavian monasteries and churches.^[5] She developed a strong reputation for her diplomatic and negotiating skills in time of crisis, in the absence of her husband and son.^[5]

In his work The Return 1639, the Italian traveller Niccolò Barsi da Lucca illustrates in details the journey of Doamna Ecaterina whom he describes as having "all the attributes of Aphroditic beauty that a woman can ever have".^[5][7][8] The historian and Prime Minister of Romania (1931–1932) Nicolae Iorga also states that "the Princess [Ecaterina], a Circassian by birth, was extraordinarily beautiful" and highly appreciated all over Moldavia.^{[2][3][9][10][11][12][13]}