Maria Voichița ( – 26 February 1511) was the daughter of a voivode of Wallachia. Later, she became princess consort of Moldavia.
Life Born into the powerful House of Drăculești, Maria was daughter of Radu III the Handsome and his wife, Maria Despina, who was the daughter of Gjergj Arianiti and Maria Muzaka.Andrei Pippidi, Traditia politicã bizantină in Tãrile Române in secolele XVI-XVIII! Bucuresti, 1983, p. 149-150, nota 35 (editia a Il-a, Bucuresti, 2001, p. 213, nota 35, fãră precizar că, în răstimpul dintre cele două editii, autorul a renuntat la aceastã ipotezã - cf. nota următoare). When she was born is not known; however, her parents appear to have married sometime before 1463 and she was wed in 1478, making her birth year 1462 at the very earliest, but more likely 1463 or 1464. She was niece of Vlad the Impaler.
She married Prince Stephen III of Moldavia in 1478. This marriage linked Stephen to the ruling family of Wallachia, and opened the possibility that he might later claim that throne. Maria gave birth to their son, Bogdan III, on 18 March 1479. She may have had one or two daughters with Stephen as well, and potentially other sons.
She was regarded to have an influence upon the policy of her spouse. Additionally, she was a patron of the arts and church; for example, she is recorded as having commissioned a manuscript for the monastery of Pătrăuți.
She is buried in the Putna Monastery, Romania.
Issue Bogdan III the One-Eyed, Voivode of Moldavia. , who married to Fedor Wiśniowiecki (d. 1533).
References
Sources George Marcu (coord.), Dicționarul personalităţilor feminine din România, Editura Meronia, București, 2009.