The christening of The Hereditary Prince Martino at the 11th-century Nea Moni monastery in Chios, 20 April 2026.
In a profound demonstration of the dynasty's unbroken connection to their ancestral homeland, The Hereditary Prince Martino was baptised on the island of Chios on 20 April 2026. The sacrament was timed to coincide with the anniversary of his ancestor Centurione II securing the sovereign rights to the Principality of Achaea.
The ceremony took place at the Nea Moni monastery, an 11th-century imperial foundation established by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos. Today, it stands as a heavily protected UNESCO World Heritage site. Securing both ecclesiastical and antiquarian permission to perform a private sacrament at a monument of such immense historical sensitivity is exceedingly rare, and serves as a modern, practical testament to the family’s enduring local eminence.
By administering the Orthodox rite at an ancient bastion of Byzantine imperial power, the senior line successfully highlighted their dual heritage. It served to anchor the historic Latin name of their Crusader ancestors directly into the spiritual and territorial epicentre of their Palaiologos-Zaccaria legacy.
This historic event effectively bridged their later diaspora with their ancient dominion in the Aegean, proving that the incorporeal qualitas of the dynasty remains spiritually tethered to its historical geography, even while operating strictly within the sphere of private law.