Stefan Uroš I of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Stefan Uroš I was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav.
, the granddaughter of Enrico Dandolo
, Doge of Venice
.
In spring 1243 the Serbs
rebelled and deposed their King Stephen Vladislav I of Serbia, replacing him with his younger brother Stephen Uroš I. The new king remained on good terms with his predecessor, who is mentioned in some of his charters.
The reign of Stephen Uroš I coincided with the decline of Serbia
's primary rivals in the Balkans
, Epirus
and Bulgaria
. This helped Serbia become an influential local power. That development was actively fostered by its king, who encouraged rapid economic development. Saxon
miners from Hungary
were introduced to work and develop the Serbian silver mines at Brskovo
and Rudnik
. The Saxon communities were allowed a level of self-government and the right to worship in Catholic-rite churches
.
Economic prosperity was also fostered by the related intensification of trade with the Dalmatia
n cities of Dubrovnik
and Kotor
. The increase in the mining of silver and in trade naturally led to the introduction of larger quantities of royal coinage, modeled after the Venetian
standard.
In 1252-1253, Stephen was at war with the Republic of Dubrovnik, which bordered the Hum
, which was held by his kinsman Radoslav Andrijić. Radoslav swore to fight Dubrovnik as long as it was in conflict with Serbia, at the same time boasting relations with Béla IV of Hungary. Dubrovnik took up an alliance with Bulgaria. Peace was ensured in a charter dated May 22, 1254, and the crisis ended.
During the second half of the 1260s a new war broke out with Dubrovnik, which was secretly favored by the Serbian queen. A treaty was signed in 1268, specifying the amount of protection money that Dubrovnik was expected to supply annually to the Serbian king. The arrangement remained largely unbroken for the next century.
In 1268 the Serbian king invaded the Hungarian possessions south of the Danube
in Mačva
, what is now northern Serbia. In spite of some initial success, Stefan Uroš was captured by the Hungarians and forced to purchase his release. A peace treaty was signed between the two kingdoms, and Stephen Uroš's son Stephen Dragutin of Serbia was married to Catherine
, the daughter of the future king Stephen V of Hungary
.
By the end of his reign, Stephen Uroš apparently succeeded in suppressing the autonomy of Zahumlje, where the local princes became virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the nobility. In his effort to achieve centralization, the king appears to have alienated his eldest son by refusing to grant him an appanage
. The conflict between father and son exacerbated, and the king apparently considered making his younger son, the future Stefan Milutin, his heir.
Worried about the inheritance and his very life, Stephen Dragutin finally demanded to be associated on the throne in 1276. When Stephen Uroš refused, Dragutin rebelled and received help from his Hungarian relatives. The allies defeated the Serbian king and Stefan Uroš was forced to abdicate and retire to an unidentified monastery in Hum where he died a year or two later. His remains were later moved to his monastic foundation of Sopoćani
.
, who was either an Angevin
princess or a daughter of the Latin Emperor of Constantinople
, Stephen Uroš I had at least three sons:
Life
Stephen Uroš was the youngest son of Stefan the First-Crowned and AnnaAnna Dandolo
Anna Dandolo was a Venetian noblewoman who became Queen consort of Serbia as the second wife of King Stephen Nemanjić, founder of the Serbian kingdom. She was crowned Serbia's first Queen consort at Stefan's coronation in 1217, and held this title until his death on 24 September 1228. She was the...
, the granddaughter of Enrico Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo
Enrico Dandolo — anglicised as Henry Dandolo and Latinized as Henricus Dandulus — was the 41st Doge of Venice from 1195 until his death...
, Doge of Venice
Doge of Venice
The Doge of Venice , often mistranslated Duke was the chief magistrate and leader of the Most Serene Republic of Venice for over a thousand years. Doges of Venice were elected for life by the city-state's aristocracy. Commonly the person selected as Doge was the shrewdest elder in the city...
.
In spring 1243 the Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
rebelled and deposed their King Stephen Vladislav I of Serbia, replacing him with his younger brother Stephen Uroš I. The new king remained on good terms with his predecessor, who is mentioned in some of his charters.
The reign of Stephen Uroš I coincided with the decline 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...
's primary rivals in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Epirus
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. This helped Serbia become an influential local power. That development was actively fostered by its king, who encouraged rapid economic development. Saxon
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
miners from 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...
were introduced to work and develop the Serbian silver mines at Brskovo
Brskovo
Brskovo is a village in northern Montenegro, within the Municipality of Mojkovac which used to have silver mines and a mint...
and Rudnik
Rudnik
Rudnik is a mountain in central Serbia, near the town of Gornji Milanovac. Its highest peak Cvijićev vrh, named after geologist and biologist Jovan Cvijić, has an altitude of 1132 meters above sea level...
. The Saxon communities were allowed a level of self-government and the right to worship in Catholic-rite churches
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n cities of Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
and Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
. The increase in the mining of silver and in trade naturally led to the introduction of larger quantities of royal coinage, modeled after the Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
standard.
In 1252-1253, Stephen was at war with the Republic of Dubrovnik, which bordered the Hum
Zahumlje
Zachlumia or Zahumlje was a medieval principality located in modern-day regions of Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia...
, which was held by his kinsman Radoslav Andrijić. Radoslav swore to fight Dubrovnik as long as it was in conflict with Serbia, at the same time boasting relations with Béla IV of Hungary. Dubrovnik took up an alliance with Bulgaria. Peace was ensured in a charter dated May 22, 1254, and the crisis ended.
During the second half of the 1260s a new war broke out with Dubrovnik, which was secretly favored by the Serbian queen. A treaty was signed in 1268, specifying the amount of protection money that Dubrovnik was expected to supply annually to the Serbian king. The arrangement remained largely unbroken for the next century.
In 1268 the Serbian king invaded the Hungarian possessions south of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
in Mačva
Macva
Mačva is a geographical region in Serbia, mostly situated in the northwest of Central Serbia. It is located in a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town of this region is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is named after the region, although the region of Mačva...
, what is now northern Serbia. In spite of some initial success, Stefan Uroš was captured by the Hungarians and forced to purchase his release. A peace treaty was signed between the two kingdoms, and Stephen Uroš's son Stephen Dragutin of Serbia was married to Catherine
Catherine of Hungary, Queen of Serbia
Catherine of Hungary was the second daughter of Stephen V of Hungary and his wife Elizabeth, a member of the Cuman tribes. Catherine became Queen consort of Serbia by her marriage to Stephen Dragutin of Serbia.-Family:...
, the daughter of the future king Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
.
By the end of his reign, Stephen Uroš apparently succeeded in suppressing the autonomy of Zahumlje, where the local princes became virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the nobility. In his effort to achieve centralization, the king appears to have alienated his eldest son by refusing to grant him an appanage
Appanage
An apanage or appanage or is the grant of an estate, titles, offices, or other things of value to the younger male children of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture...
. The conflict between father and son exacerbated, and the king apparently considered making his younger son, the future Stefan Milutin, his heir.
Worried about the inheritance and his very life, Stephen Dragutin finally demanded to be associated on the throne in 1276. When Stephen Uroš refused, Dragutin rebelled and received help from his Hungarian relatives. The allies defeated the Serbian king and Stefan Uroš was forced to abdicate and retire to an unidentified monastery in Hum where he died a year or two later. His remains were later moved to his monastic foundation of Sopoćani
Sopocani
The Sopoćani monastery , an endowment of King Stefan Uroš I of Serbia, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the Raška River in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It is World Heritage Site, added in 1979 with Stari Ras...
.
Family
By his wife HelenHelen of Anjou
Helen of Anjou or Hélène d'Anjou was the queen consort of the Serbian Kingdom, wife of Stephen Uroš I and mother of kings Dragutin and Milutin.-Life:Helen was a Catholic and was born in ca 1236. Her origins are not known for certain...
, who was either an Angevin
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
princess or a daughter of the Latin Emperor of Constantinople
Latin Empire
The Latin Empire or Latin Empire of Constantinople is the name given by historians to the feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. It was established after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 and lasted until 1261...
, Stephen Uroš I had at least three sons:
- Stephen Dragutin of Serbia, who succeeded as king
- Stephen Uroš II Milutin, who succeeded as king in 1282
- Brnjača, a daughter