Keratsa Petritsa
Encyclopedia
Keratsa Petritsa was a Bulgarian noblewoman (bolyarka), sister of tsar Michael Shishman of Bulgaria
. Her eldest son Ivan Alexander
rose to the Bulgarian throne after vicissitudes of politics.
Keratsa was the daughter of the despotēs
Shishman
of Vidin
by an unnamed daughter of the sebastokrator
Peter and Anna (Theodora)
, herself daughter of Ivan Asen II and Irene Komnene of Epirus
. She was also a distant cousin of tsar Theodore Svetoslav and tsar George II Terter
.
Since the middle of the 13th century, the area of Vidin had been effectively autonomous under ineffective Bulgarian overlordship, and was ruled successively by Yakov Svetoslav (died 1276), Shishman
(died between 1308 and 1313), and then the future Michael Asen III
. Shishman and his son received the high courtly title of despotēs
from their cousin Theodore Svetoslav and, on the childless death of young George Terter II
in 1323, the brother of Keratsa Petritsa was elected emperor of Bulgaria by the nobility.
Keratsa Petritsa was married despotes
Stratsimir of Kran. They had five children:
Keratsa Petritsa was a Catholic (in his letters to Keratsa pope Benedict XII, with whom she maintained a correspondence, calles her "the duchess of Karnona"), but at some pint of her life she converted to Orthodoxy and retired to a convent under the monastic name Theophana (Bulgarian: Теофана). Her memory is honored in the Synodic of Bulgarian Church:
Michael Shishman of Bulgaria
Michael Asen III ), ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1323 to 1330. The exact year of his birth is unknown but it was between 1280 and 1292. He was the founder of the last ruling dynasty of the Second Bulgarian Empire, the Shishman dynasty...
. Her eldest son Ivan Alexander
Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria
Ivan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...
rose to the Bulgarian throne after vicissitudes of politics.
Keratsa was the daughter of the despotēs
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
Shishman
Shishman of Vidin
Shishman, Despot of Vidin was a Bulgarian noble who ruled a semi-independent realm based out of the Danubian fortress of Vidin in the late 13th and early 14th century...
of Vidin
Vidin
Vidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
by an unnamed daughter of the sebastokrator
Sebastokrator
Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used by other rulers whose states bordered the Empire or were within its sphere of influence. The word is a compound of "sebastos" Sebastokratōr was a senior court title in the late Byzantine Empire. It was also used...
Peter and Anna (Theodora)
Anna-Theodora Asenina of Bulgaria
Anna-Theodora Asenina was a 13th century Bulgarian princess, the daughter of tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria and princess Irene Komnene of Epirus.Through her mother, Anna-Theodora was a granddaughter of Theodore of Epirus....
, herself daughter of Ivan Asen II and Irene Komnene of Epirus
Irene Komnene of Epirus
Irene Komnene Doukaina or Eirene Komnene Doukaina was a Greek princess and the third wife of tsar Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria. She was the mother of tsar Michael Asen I of Bulgaria....
. She was also a distant cousin of tsar Theodore Svetoslav and tsar George II Terter
George II of Bulgaria
George Terter II reigned as emperor of Bulgaria 1321–1322. The date of his birth is unknown, but he was born not long before 1307.George Terter II was the son of Theodore Svetoslav and Euphrosyne, and was named after his paternal grandfather George Terter I. It is possible that he was associated...
.
Since the middle of the 13th century, the area of Vidin had been effectively autonomous under ineffective Bulgarian overlordship, and was ruled successively by Yakov Svetoslav (died 1276), Shishman
Shishman
Shishman , also Shishmanids or Shishmanovtsi , was a medieval Bulgarian royal dynasty of partial Cuman origin.The Shishman dynasty consecutively ruled the Second Bulgarian Empire for approximately one century, from 1323 to 1422, when it was conquered by the Ottomans...
(died between 1308 and 1313), and then the future Michael Asen III
Michael Shishman of Bulgaria
Michael Asen III ), ruled as emperor of Bulgaria from 1323 to 1330. The exact year of his birth is unknown but it was between 1280 and 1292. He was the founder of the last ruling dynasty of the Second Bulgarian Empire, the Shishman dynasty...
. Shishman and his son received the high courtly title of despotēs
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
from their cousin Theodore Svetoslav and, on the childless death of young George Terter II
George II of Bulgaria
George Terter II reigned as emperor of Bulgaria 1321–1322. The date of his birth is unknown, but he was born not long before 1307.George Terter II was the son of Theodore Svetoslav and Euphrosyne, and was named after his paternal grandfather George Terter I. It is possible that he was associated...
in 1323, the brother of Keratsa Petritsa was elected emperor of Bulgaria by the nobility.
Keratsa Petritsa was married despotes
Despotes
Despot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
Stratsimir of Kran. They had five children:
- Ivan AlexanderIvan Alexander of BulgariaIvan Alexander , also known as John Alexander, ruled as Emperor of Bulgaria from 1331 to 1371, during the Second Bulgarian Empire. The date of his birth is unknown. He died on February 17, 1371. The long reign of Ivan Alexander is considered a transitional period in Bulgarian medieval history...
, despotes of LovechLovechLovech is a town in north-central Bulgaria with a population of 36,296 as of February 2011. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The town is located about 150 km northeast from the capital city of Sofia...
, who ascended on the throne as emperor of Bulgaria after a coup d'état in 1331. - HelenaHelena of BulgariaJelena or Helena of Bulgaria was the daughter of Sratsimir of Kran and Keratsa Petritsa and the sister of Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria....
, who married king Stefan Dushan of SerbiaStefan Uroš IV Dušan of SerbiaStephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
on 19 April 1332. - John Asan Komnenos, who was made despotes of Valona by his brother-in-law Stefan Dushan of SerbiaStefan Uroš IV Dušan of SerbiaStephen Uroš IV Dušan the Mighty , was the King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks until his death on 20 December 1355. Dušan managed to conquer a large part of Southeast Europe, becoming one of the most powerful monarchs in his time...
. - Michael, despotes of VidinVidinVidin is a port town on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. It is close to the borders with Serbia and Romania, and is also the administrative centre of Vidin Province, as well as of the Metropolitan of Vidin...
- Theodora
Keratsa Petritsa was a Catholic (in his letters to Keratsa pope Benedict XII, with whom she maintained a correspondence, calles her "the duchess of Karnona"), but at some pint of her life she converted to Orthodoxy and retired to a convent under the monastic name Theophana (Bulgarian: Теофана). Her memory is honored in the Synodic of Bulgarian Church: