Serbia, Despotate of / Деспот Стефан Бранковић (Despot Stefan Branković)

Serbia, Despotate of - Деспот Стефан Бранковић (Despot Stefan Branković) (19 January 1458 - 21 March 1459)

Stefan Branković (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Бранковић), also known in historiography as Stefan the Blind (Стефан Слепи), was briefly the despot (ruler) of the Serbian Despotate between 1458 and 1459, member of the Branković dynasty.

He was blinded alongside his brother Grgur in 1441. Both blind brothers seem to have been omitted from considerations as possible heirs to their father. They could only claim the throne in 1458, since the death of Lazar left them the only male representatives of the Branković.

Stefan secured the throne by co-operating with his sister-in-law Helena Palaiologina, widow of Lazar. She was a daughter of Thomas Palaiologos, Despot of the Morea, and Catherine Zaccaria of the Principality of Achaea. Helena however arranged the marriage of one of her daughters to Stjepan Tomašević, prince of Bosnia. She thus managed to secure the throne for her new son-in-law. Matthias Corvinus of Hungary and Stjepan Tomaš Kotromanić, King of Bosnia and father of Tomašević, dethroned Stefan on April 8, 1459. They enthroned Stjepan Tomašević as his replacement.

At the end of 1459 Stefan decided to travel to Albania, where he had relatives. In mid-1460 he travelled to Albania where he married Angelina Arianit Komneni in November 1460; Angelina was the sister of Donika, who married Skanderbeg.

Skanderbeg gave to Stefan Branković an unknown estate as appanage. At the beginning of 1461 Stefan Branković went to Italy with Skanderbeg's written recommendation.

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Деспот Стефан Бранковић (Despot Stefan Branković): Details
CountrySerbia, Despotate of
From19 January 1458
To21 March 1459
Personal Information Despot Stefan Branković of Serbia
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Country Details
NameSerbia, Despotate of
From1402
To1459
WikiSee Wikipedia page
Coat of ArmsCoat of Arms of Serbia, Despotate of