Stefan Lazarevic
Encyclopedia
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall (Стеван Високи, l. 1374 – 19 July 1427) was a Serbia
n Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate
between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo
against the Turks
in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty. His sister, Princess Olivera Despina, married the Ottoman
Sultan Bayezid I
, his brother-in-law, with whom he sided in a number of battles. Despot Stefan was a poet and a moderniser. His reign and his personal literary works are sometimes associated with early signs of the Renaissance
in Serbian lands. He introduced knight
ly tournaments, modern battle tactics, and firearms to Serbia.
vassal in the Battle of Rovine
in 1395, the Battle of Nicopolis
in 1396, and in the Battle of Ankara
in 1402. He became the Despot of Serbia in 1402 after the Ottoman state temporarily collapsed following Timur
's invasion of Anatolia
with the Battle of Ankara, and in 1403 proclaimed Belgrade
his capital. He built a fortress with a citadel which was destroyed during the Great Turkish War
in 1690; only the Despot Stefan Tower
remains today.
Stefan II became an ally of the Kingdom of Hungary
and a knight of a special order, so when the Hungarian king Sigismund renewed the Order of the Dragon
(Societas draconistrarum) in 1408, Despot Stefan Lazarević was the first on the list of members. In 1404, Sigismund gave Lazarević land in the present-day Vojvodina
(and Pannonian part of present-day Belgrade
), including Zemun
(today part of Belgrade), Slankamen
, Kupinik
, Mitrovica
, Bečej
, and Veliki Bečkerek
. In 1417, Apatin
is also mentioned among his possessions.
Under his rule, he issued a Code of Mines in 1412 in Novo Brdo
, the economic center of Serbia
. In his legacy, Resava-Manasija monastery
(Pomoravlje District
), he organized the Resava School, a center for correcting, translating, and transcribing books.
Stefan Lazarević died suddenly in 1427, leaving the throne to his nephew Đurađ Branković. His deeds eventually elevated him into sainthood, and the Serbian Orthodox Church
honors him on August 1. Despot Stefan is buried in the monastery Koporin which he had built in 1402., as he did the bigger and more famous Manasija monastery in 1407.. In fact, Manasija was intended as his own burial place, but due to a sudden nature of his death in perilous times it was his brother Vuk that is buried there.
Apart from the biographical notes in charters and especially in the Code on The Mine Novo Brdo (1412)
Stefan Lazarević wrote three original literary works:
. She was a daughter of Francesco II of Lesbos
and Valentina Doria
. They had no known children.
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Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
against the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty. His sister, Princess Olivera Despina, married the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Sultan Bayezid I
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
, his brother-in-law, with whom he sided in a number of battles. Despot Stefan was a poet and a moderniser. His reign and his personal literary works are sometimes associated with early signs of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
in Serbian lands. He introduced knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ly tournaments, modern battle tactics, and firearms to Serbia.
Life
Stefan was the son of Prince Lazar, whom he succeeded in 1389. He participated as an OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
vassal in the Battle of Rovine
Battle of Rovine
The Battle of Rovine took place on 17 May 1395 between the Wallachian army led by Voivod Mircea cel Bătrân against the Ottoman invasion led by sultan Bayezid I. The Ottoman army, numbering approximately 40,000 men, faced the much smaller Wallachian army, which was about 10,000 men...
in 1395, the Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
in 1396, and in the Battle of Ankara
Battle of Ankara
The Battle of Ankara or Battle of Angora, fought on July 20, 1402, took place at the field of Çubuk between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Bayezid I and the Turko-Mongol forces of Timur, ruler of the Timurid Empire. The battle was a major victory for Timur, and it led to a period of crisis for...
in 1402. He became the Despot of Serbia in 1402 after the Ottoman state temporarily collapsed following Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
's invasion of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
with the Battle of Ankara, and in 1403 proclaimed Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
his capital. He built a fortress with a citadel which was destroyed during the Great Turkish War
Great Turkish War
The Great Turkish War refers to a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and contemporary European powers, then joined into a Holy League, during the second half of the 17th century.-1667–1683:...
in 1690; only the Despot Stefan Tower
Despot Stefan Tower
The Despot Stefan Tower is a structure in Belgrade, Serbia, built ca.1405, a couple of years after the city became the capital of Serbian Despotate under Despot Stefan...
remains today.
Stefan II became an ally of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
and a knight of a special order, so when the Hungarian king Sigismund renewed the Order of the Dragon
Order of the Dragon
The Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund, King of Hungary and later Holy Roman Emperor The Order of the Dragon (Latin Societas Draconistrarum) was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund,...
(Societas draconistrarum) in 1408, Despot Stefan Lazarević was the first on the list of members. In 1404, Sigismund gave Lazarević land in the present-day Vojvodina
Vojvodina
Vojvodina, officially called Autonomous Province of Vojvodina is an autonomous province of Serbia. Its capital and largest city is Novi Sad...
(and Pannonian part of present-day Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
), including Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
(today part of Belgrade), Slankamen
Stari Slankamen
Stari Slankamen , also known as Slankamen , is a village located in the Inđija municipality, in the Srem District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
, Kupinik
Kupinovo
Kupinovo is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Pećinci municipality, in Srem District, Vojvodina province. In 2002, the population of the village numbered 2,047 people, of whom 1,852 were ethnic Serbs....
, Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica is a city and municipality located in the Vojvodina province of Serbia, on the left bank of the Sava river. As of 2002 the town had a total population of 39,041, while Sremska Mitrovica municipality had a population of 85,605...
, Bečej
Novi Becej
Novi Bečej , is a town and municipality in Central Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 14,406, while Novi Bečej municipality has 26,881 inhabitants.-Name:Its name means "new Bečej"...
, and Veliki Bečkerek
Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
. In 1417, Apatin
Apatin
Apatin is a town and municipality in the Vojvodina administrative region of Serbia, located in the West Bačka District, at . The town of Apatin is the administrative, economic, cultural, educational and tourist centre of the municipality of Apatin...
is also mentioned among his possessions.
Under his rule, he issued a Code of Mines in 1412 in Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
, the economic center of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. In his legacy, Resava-Manasija monastery
Manasija monastery
Manasija , also known as Resava , is a Serb Orthodox monastery near Despotovac, Serbia, founded by Despot Stefan Lazarević between 1406 and 1418. The church is dedicated to the Holy Trinity. It is one of the most significant monuments of medieval Serbian culture and it belongs to the "Morava...
(Pomoravlje District
Pomoravlje District
The Pomoravlje District expands in the central part of Serbia. It has a population of 212,839...
), he organized the Resava School, a center for correcting, translating, and transcribing books.
Stefan Lazarević died suddenly in 1427, leaving the throne to his nephew Đurađ Branković. His deeds eventually elevated him into sainthood, and the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
honors him on August 1. Despot Stefan is buried in the monastery Koporin which he had built in 1402., as he did the bigger and more famous Manasija monastery in 1407.. In fact, Manasija was intended as his own burial place, but due to a sudden nature of his death in perilous times it was his brother Vuk that is buried there.
Apart from the biographical notes in charters and especially in the Code on The Mine Novo Brdo (1412)
Stefan Lazarević wrote three original literary works:
- The Grave Sobbing for prince Lazar (1389)
- The Inscription on the Kosovo Marble Column (1404)
- A Homage to Love (1409), a poetic epistle to his brother Vuk.
Marriage
In 1405, Stefan married Helena GattilusioGattilusio
The Gattilusi were a powerful Genoese family who controlled a number of possessions in the northern Aegean from 1355 until the mid 15th century....
. She was a daughter of Francesco II of Lesbos
Francesco II of Lesbos
Francesco II Gattilusio, Lord of Lesbos was the second ruler of an independent Lesbos from 1384 to his death.He was the third son of Francesco I of Lesbos and Maria Palaiologina...
and Valentina Doria
Doria
Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
. They had no known children.
Gallery
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See also
- Serbian DespotateSerbian DespotateThe Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
- House of LazarevićHouse of LazarevicThe House of Lazarević was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty.The dynasty starts with Lazar Hrebeljanović, son of Pribac Hrebeljanović -a noble at the court of Dušan the Mighty and of Princess Jelena Zupan Rascia-Nemanjic of Serbia...
- Order of the DragonOrder of the DragonThe Order of the Dragon was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund, King of Hungary and later Holy Roman Emperor The Order of the Dragon (Latin Societas Draconistrarum) was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,founded in 1408 by Sigismund,...
- List of Serbian monarchs
- History of SerbiaHistory of SerbiaThe history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
External links
- Despot Stefan Lazarević, a fresco from the monastery of Manasija from the year 1418
- His listing in "Medieval lands" by Charles Cawley. The project "involves extracting and analysing detailed information from primary sources, including contemporary chronicles, cartularies, necrologies and testaments."
Further Lecture
- Constantine the PhilosopherConstantine of KostenetsConstantine of Kostenets , also known as Konstantin Kostenechki and Constantine the Philosopher , was a medieval Bulgarian writer and chronicler...
wrote a biography to Stefan in ~1431. Constantine was a Bulgarian scholar who following his arrival in Serbia in 1411, made a career for himself at Stefan's court.
- Fine, John V.A. The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1987.