Wikipedia
Racoviţa may refer to several places in Romania:
- Racoviţa, a commune in Brăila County
- Racoviţa, a commune in Sibiu County
- Racoviţa, a commune in Timiș County
- Racoviţa, a commune in Vâlcea County
- Racoviţa, a village in Bucşani Commune, Dâmbovița County
- Racoviţa, a village in Braloștița Commune, Dolj County
- Racoviţa, a village in Polovragi Commune, Gorj County
- Racoviţa, a village in Voineasa Commune, Olt County
- Racoviţa, a village in Gârceni Commune, Vaslui County
- Racoviţa, a village in Budeşti Commune, Vâlcea County
- Racoviţa, a district in the town of Mioveni, Argeș County
The Racoviţă (anglicized Racovitza) was a family of Moldavian and Wallachian boyars which gave the Danubian Principalities several hospodars, becoming influential within the Ottoman Empire and the Phanariote kinship network. Their ancestors became boyars under Alexandru Lăpușneanu (r. 1552–61; 1564–68). A member of the family was mentioned in a chrysobull dated 7 October 1487. The name is Slavic (Rakovica, meaning "crab"). The family was partially Hellenized. One of its branches remained present inside Romania. By the 17th century, the family was one of the leading families in the region. It later managed to penetrate into the Phanariote nucleus in Constantinople, which facilitated and increased their chances to occupy the thrones in their native country, and later to successfully maintain their positions. It remained influential in the Kingdom of Romania.