Catherine Asenina Zaccaria or Catherine Palaiologina (Medieval Greek: Αἰκατερίνα Παλαιολογίνα; died 26 August 1462) was the daughter of the Prince of Achaea, Centurione II Zaccaria and a Byzantine lady hailing from the prestigious houses of Asen-Palaiologos and the house of Tzamblakon.
[1] In September 1429 she was betrothed to the Byzantine Despot of the Morea Thomas Palaiologos, and married him in January 1430 at Mystras.
[2][3] Sphrantzes in his Short History mentions a Kydonides Tzamblakon next to Thomas Palaiologos, that he calls the most beloved uncle of his wife.
[5] Catherine remained in the Morea as Thomas' consort until the Ottoman conquest in 1460, after which she fled with her husband and children to the Venetian-held island of Corfu.
[2] The erudite and later professor of the Greek language Hermonymos Georgios wrote an eulogy for Catherine.