Madonna Mia...I think I have been given some misinformation. I understand because I am far away from my cousins and for many years the Bakija Family were looking for their true legacy. So I will give the right explanation, stuff my father doesn't even know about, as many don't so..here it is. My family name Bakija - House of Bakija, originated in Pakoštane ( Pachosciane ) and is in no way related with the Bakijas of and from Albania nor Bosnia. The reason for the spelling of the name is because all last names of foreign origin were converted to slavonic last names over time. Bakija- ije from Bosnia and Albania were named after the Bahije - special turkish order who were in charge of collecting blood taxes. Those were usually first borns in the family coming with Janjičari and recruited into the Turkish army. Basically most of the Bakijas of Albania and Bosnia are not my blood relation...
My family Bakija - House of Bakija is a totally different tribe. Our last name Bakija originated during the Roman Empire and the origin of the name is BACCHIA. Later on Bacchia turned into Bakin/ Bakini/ Bakia and finally as it's known today; Bakija. We came with Venetians from region Friuli Venezia Giulia. Many noble families from Italy were trading with Dalmatia many Italian last names found in Dalmatia. It must be understood that for a really long long time Dalmatia was under Venetian control. Basically it is a very old region, since the Roman Empire. It was known as the Roman Empire province old Illyria - including Istria, Liburnia and Kingdom of Dalmatia. atia stayed for centuries under the yoke of the venetian Empire. That is when the Bacchia are coming from Italy to Trieste and to Istria towards Dalmatian Islands. They are arriving in Pakoštane through another noble family from Zara ( Zadar - known as Roma Vecchia).. In that order last Bacchia from Italy settled in Pakoštane, some on Islands and some stayed in Istria under our original name Bacchia. We had to assimilate to Slavonic surname - and so the spelling became Bakija. So we stayed in Dalmatia - Croatia and became Croatians
House of Bakija - Bacchia is a noble and antique last name from Kingdom of Dalmatia. The land that was given to us in nobility. Our name stands among noble families of Kingdom of Dalmatia written in Libro D'oro de Regno Dalmatiae
Bacchia - Antica e nobile famiglia, originaria del Regno di Dalmazaia, nel cui "Libro d'Oro" risulta annoverata, propagatasi, nel corso dei secoli, in diverse regioni d'Italia e, prevalentemente, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, ove prese dimora nella città di Trieste. D'altronde, tal casato, sin da remotissime epoche, sempre riuscì a distinguersi, grazie agli elevati personaggi, a cui diede i natali.... Below is our Coat of Arms - hope I helped somehow Greetings from Croatia, Viktorija Matija Bakija
Pakoštane comes from Pacoschiane. Dalmatia is a region of Croatia - old Rome principality of Iliria - we are talking 2000 B.C. But yes there is a connection to the Ottoman which called this area, in translation to English, "The Hell"
