Saint Stefan Branković Стефан Бранковић
from theEsphigmenou charter (1429)
Despot of Serbia
Reign	January 19, 1458 – March 21, 1459
Predecessor	Lazar Branković
Successor	Stephen Tomašević
Born	c. 1417 Belgrade
Died	(1476-10-09)October 9, 1476 CastleBelgrado nearVarmo
Burial	Kupinovo
Spouse	Angelina Arianiti
Issue	Đorđe Branković Jovan Branković Marija Branković
House	Branković
Father	Đurađ Branković
Mother	Irene Kantakouzene
Religion	Orthodox Christian (Serbian Church)

Stefan Branković (Serbian Cyrillic:Стефан Бранковић; c. 1417 – 9 October 1476), also known in historiography asStefan the Blind (Стефан Слепи), was briefly thedespot (ruler) of theSerbian Despotate between 1458 and 1459. He was the last ruling member of theBranković dynasty.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Stefan and his relations are named inDell'Imperadori Constantinopolitani (also known as the "Massarelli manuscript" after the work was found in papers ofAngelo Massarelli, the general secretary of theCouncil of Trent^[6]), a manuscript held in theVatican Library.^[7] This manuscript names him a son ofĐurađ Branković andEirene Kantakouzene. D. M. Nicol (1994) questioned his maternity, suggesting Đurađ had a prior marriage to a daughter ofJohn IV of Trebizond. However his theory presented no sources and failed to take into account that John IV was born between 1395 and 1417. He would be unlikely to be a grandparent by the 1410s.^{[citation needed]}

On 11 September 1429, Đurađ made a donation toEsphigmenou Monastery atMount Athos. The charter for the document names his wife Irene and five children. The Masarelli manuscript also names the same five children of Đurađ and Eirene. Other genealogies mention a sixth child, Todor Branković. He could be a child who died young and thus not listed with his siblings.^{[citation needed]} The oldest sibling listed in the Massarelli document wasGrgur Branković. The 1429 document mentions him with the title ofDespot. Grgur was appointed governor of territories of southernSerbia associated to theHouse of Branković.^[8] He was reportedly appointed byMurad II of theOttoman Empire in 1439. In April 1441, Grgur was accused of plotting against Murad and his governorship terminated. He was imprisoned inAmasya and blinded on 8 May 1441.^[8] Grgur and his brothers co-signed a charter by which Đurađ confirmed the privileges to theRepublic of Ragusa^[9] Grgur retired to a monastery under the monastic name "German".^[10] According to Fine, Grgur resurfaced in 1458, claiming the succession of the vacant throne ofSerbia for himself or his son.^[11] The Massarelli manuscript mentioned Grgur as unwed. Later genealogies name his wife as "Jelisaveta".Vuk Grgurević, a son of Grgur, was later a titular Serbian despot (1471–1485). He was possibly an illegitimate.^{[citation needed]}

The Massarelli next names an older sister of Stefan,Mara Branković. She was one of the wives of Murad II.^{[citation needed]} Stefan himself is listed third. His younger sister is listed as Cantacuzina, the Latinized version of their mother's last name. Later genealogies give her name as Katarina. She marriedUlrich II of Celje. The last and youngest sibling listed wasLazar Branković, successor to their father.^{[citation needed]}

According to Nicol, Stefan had become a citizen of theRepublic of Venice. He was blinded alongside his brother Grgur in 1441.^{[citation needed]} 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.

According to Fine, Stefan secured the throne by co-operating with his sister-in-lawHelena Palaiologina, widow of Lazar. She was a daughter ofThomas Palaiologos,Despot of the Morea, andCatherine Zaccaria of thePrincipality of Achaea. Helena however arranged the marriage of one of her daughters toStjepan Tomašević, prince ofBosnia. She thus managed to secure the throne for her new son-in-law.^{[citation needed]}Matthias Corvinus of Hungary andStjepan 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.^[12] In mid-1460 he travelled to Albania where he marriedAngelina Arianit Komneni in November 1460. Angelina was the sister ofDonika, who marriedSkanderbeg.^[13] Skanderbeg gave to Stefan Branković an unknown estate as apanage.^[12] At the beginning of 1461 Stefan Branković went to Italy with Skanderbeg's written recommendation.^[12]

He gained (c. 1462) the CastleBelgrado, in the region ofFriuli (northernItaly), where he lived with his family, until his death in 1476.^[14]

In 1461, Stefan married Albanian princessAngelina Arianiti, daughter ofthe Arianiti Principality's ruler,Prince Gjergj Arianiti andPrincess Maria Muzaka, eldest daughter ofDespot Andrea III of Mosacchia. The couple had several children:^[3]

• Đorđe (d. 18 January 1516). Titular Despot of Serbia, and noble in theKingdom of Hungary. Married Isabella del Balzo, daughter of Agilberto, Duke ofNardò. Later retired as a monk under the monastic name "Maxim". Resurfaced asMetropolitan of Ungro-Wallachia from 1508 to 1521. He also held the title of Archbishop ofBelgrade.
• Jovan (d. 10 December 1502). Titular Despot of Serbia, and noble in theKingdom of Hungary. MarriedJelena Jakšić. She is mentioned as "Helena, Serbiæ despotissa" in a charted dated to 1502.
• Irene: mentioned third in the Massarelli manuscript. Considered to have died young.
• Marija (died 27 August 1495). Mentioned fourth and last in the Massarelli manuscript. MarriedBoniface III,Marquess of Montferrat (1424–1494, reign 1483–1494).

He is venerated as aSaint Stefan the Blind by theSerbian Orthodox Church.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toStefan Branković.

• List of Serbian monarchs
• Siege of Smederevo (1459)

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• Schwennicke, Detlev (1878),Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, vol. 3, p. 180
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• Spremić, Momčilo (2004)."La famille serbe des Branković – considérations généalogiques et héraldiques"(PDF).Зборник радова Византолошког института (in French).41:441–452.

• 1410s births
• 1476 deaths
• 15th-century Serbian monarchs
• Blind royalty and nobility
• Branković dynasty
• Eastern Orthodox monarchs
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• Medieval Serbian people
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• Eastern Orthodox royal saints from Serbia
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