Kaboga family

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The Kaboga family, also known as Kabužić in Croatian and Caboga in Italian, were a powerful and old noble family from Dubrovnik (the Republic of Ragusa). They were wealthy and influential for many generations, and they produced several rulers of the city. The Austrian Empire later recognized members of the Kaboga family as counts in 1818 and again in 1833.

The family first appears in records in the late 13th century. The likely founder was Džore Dišić, who died before 1282. His wife Draga and their sons Mihajlo (Miho), Dživo, Marin and Vlaho are named in early Dubrovnik documents. Over time the family name changes to Kaboga, and Vlaho is later listed as Vlaho Džore Kaboga. A daughter Tomasina is mentioned, and the Kaboga and Dišić families seem to be the same line.

Three main branches come from Miho, Marin and Vlaho. By the late 14th century they were active in public life. Marin’s line included Jure (1310–1368) and Nikola Jurov Kaboga (1348–1373), who worked in diplomacy and the court and helped Dubrovnik during its break with Venice.

Vlaho’s descendants mostly worked in grain trading. They appear in many trade records across the region, buying and selling oats and wheat and dealing with merchants from places like Ancona, Durrës and Florence. Vlaho’s family continued to play a role in supplying Dubrovnik with grain and in government trade deals.

Marin’s line also stayed involved in business and public life. Marin’s son, Dživo, and other family members conducted wheat purchases and sales, sometimes traveling to places like Constantinople to buy grain. From the late 1300s onward, the Kabogas held several positions in Dubrovnik’s government and continued to be a prominent trading family.

Some descendants married into other noble families, linking the Kabogas to broader Dubrovnik elite networks. As with many old lineages, some members died young, while others continued to influence politics and trade. The Kaboga legacy left a lasting mark on Dubrovnik’s history through their leadership, diplomacy, and commercial activity, and their early business records remain among the city’s oldest.