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60-574: The earliest traces of fortifications date to the late Neolithic era. In the 9th century, it was part of the defences of the Zeta principality. Part of castle was built in the 13th century during the Byzantine rule. The current walls and towers date to 1396–1478 during the Venetian era. In the 14th century the castle became independent of Shkodra. In 1442 the castle was taken from Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković by

120-470: A conflict of succession. Seeking rights for his bastard son Vuk , blind Grgur Branković fled to the Ottoman Empire, together with Mara and Thomas Kantakouzenos. Lazar's brother, blind Stefan Branković , took his side and stayed with him. Despot Lazar suddenly died on January 20, 1458. As despot Lazar Branković had no sons, a three-member regency was formed after his death. It included Lazar's brother,

180-569: A gift of Srebrenica and its surroundings . Musa's forces attacked Serbia in early 1412 but were defeated in Kosovo. Stefan then invited Sultan Mehmed Çelebi to attack Musa together. Together with Hungarian troops, they defeated Musa on 5 July 1413 at the Battle of Çamurlu , near the Vitosha mountain (modern Bulgaria ) and Musa was killed on the battlefield. Stefan gained the town of Koprijan near Niš and

240-731: A new capital city, the magnificent fortress of Smederevo on the Danube, close to the Hungarian border. Constructed 1428–30, Smederevo was a source of many future misinterpretations of history, especially concerning Đurađ's wife Jerina . With Jerina's Greek nationality and the influence her brothers had with the new despot, people began to dislike her, and attributed to her many vicious and evil characteristics, including building Smederevo for capricious reasons. In folk poetry she's been dubbed Prokleta Jerina (the Damned Jerina). Immediately after becoming

300-574: A peace treaty with the Sultan, and southern Serbia remained in Ottoman hands. A few months after the peace treaty, the Ottoman Empire attacked again. Both Smederevo and Belgrade, which were the primary target of the Turks, successfully resisted, but the countryside was devastated even further. Despot Đurađ Branković died on December 24, 1456. Despot Lazar Branković , the only one of Đurađ's sons not to be blinded by

360-578: A thousand soldiers to help Sultan Mehmed II conquer Constantinople in May 1453. The new Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed II, who would later be called the Conqueror, returned the regions of Toplica and Dubočica to Serbia in 1451 as a token of good will. On that occasion, Mehmed II and Đurađ negotiated the prolonging of their peace treaty. Without formally declaring an end to the peace treaty, Sultan Mehmed II invaded Serbia in mid-July 1454. Much of central Serbia fell, but

420-610: Is located in Gračanica , a Serbian enclave near Lipjan , some 5 km (3.1 mi) from Pristina . It is situated on the Kosovo field , on the left riverbank of Gračanka , a right tributary of the Sitnica river . The name is derived from Slavic Gradac , a toponym of fortified cities. Gračanica was constructed on the ruins of an older 13th-century church of the Holy Virgin . It was located in

480-471: Is on a level higher. The church was built in alternate courses of brick and stone. At the end of the 14th century an exonarthex was added with double arcades , but these were blinded in the 16th century. In the church three kinds of painting can be discerned. The earliest is found in the nave , whereas two later ones can be recognized in the narthex . The frescoes were painted in 1321–1322. The painting works have been well preserved. The compositions in

540-710: The Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade is based on the models of Gračanica and Hagia Sophia . In Chicago, the New Gračanica church is a detailed replica of Gračanica, completed and consecrated in 1984. The Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery ( Serbian : Манастир Херцеговачка Грачаница, romanized : Manastir Hercegovačka Gračanica ), completed in the year 2000, is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Trebinje , in Bosnia and Herzegovina , and

600-625: The List of World Heritage in Danger . Gračanica represents the culmination of the Medieval Serbian art of building in the Serbo-Byzantine tradition . The church has the form of a double inscribed cross, one inside the other, the inner one providing for a vertical silhouette so as to raise the central dome upwards on a graded elaboration of masses. The dome rests on four free-standing pillars . Above

660-489: The Mačva region, and the fort of Golubac ; Stefan made Belgrade his capital city. He made peace with his brother Vuk, who remained an Ottoman vassal. In 1405 he married Caterina Gattilusio, daughter of Francesco II Gattilusio , ruler of the island of Lesbos , and his mother Milica died. In 1408 the two brothers again argued, and Vuk, accompanied by Ottoman forces, attacked Belgrade in early 1409. Besieged Stefan agreed to give

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720-546: The Ottoman Empire conquered Serbian Despotate in 1459, the Hungarian rulers renewed the legacy of Despots to the House of Branković in exile, later to the noble family of Berislavići Grabarski , who continued to govern most of Syrmia until the Ottoman conquest but territory has been in theory still under administration of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary . The residence of the despots was Kupinik (modern Kupinovo). The Despots from

780-587: The 1402 Battle of Ankara , in which the Ottomans were defeated and their leader Bayezid was captured. Returning to Serbia, Stefan visited Constantinople where the Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos granted him the title of despot . In previous years, this title would mean that the despot would rule some vassal state; however, as the Byzantine Empire was too weak to assert such a rule, Stefan Lazarević adopted

840-510: The Bosnians were defeated by a Serbian army led by Thomas Kantakouzenos, who reconquered Srebrenica and also took Višegrad . The difficulty Despot Đurađ had in maintaining balance between two strong powers can be illustrated by the fact that in 1447–48 despot Đurađ provided funds to the Byzantines to repair the city walls of Constantinople , but being officially an Ottoman vassal, he had to send

900-521: The Branković dynasty were: Vuk Grgurević-Branković (1471–1485), Đorđe Branković (1486–1496) and Jovan Branković (1496–1502). Last titular despots were: Ivaniš Berislavić (1504–1514), Stjepan Berislavić (1520–1535), Radič Božić (1527–1528, Zapolya faction's pretender), and Pavle Bakić (1537). In the Serbian Despotate, there were several noble offices with important duties and roles in

960-501: The Despotate continued to exist for another three years before it finally fell under Ottoman rule in 1459. After 1459, political traditions of the Serbian Despotate continued to exist in exile, in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary , with several titular despots of Serbia, who were appointed by kings of Hungary. The last titular Despot of Serbia was Pavle Bakić , who fell in the Battle of Gorjani in 1537. After Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović

1020-720: The Despotate until its fall. Documents have been preserved about the Vlasts in Smederevo , Novo Brdo , Nekudim , Ostrovica , Golubac , Borač , Petrus , Lepenica , Kruševac , Ždrelo ; west of the Drina, there were four Vlasts: Teočak , Tišnica , Zvonik and Srebrenica . After its incorporation into the Serbian Despotate in 1421, Zeta was organized as a single large Vlast. with its Voivode seated in Bar , later moving to Podgorica (1444) and finally Medun . Next to nothing has been preserved about

1080-628: The Hungarian Queen, in an effort to secure better relations with Serbia's northern neighbor. He was forced to give his other daughter Mara to Sultan Murad II . The marriage was arranged in 1433, but Đurađ delayed it until 1435 when the Ottomans threatened him with invasion. After the marriage took place, Sultan Murad swore to continue the peace between the Ottoman Empire and Serbia. However, this oath would be broken two years later. The Ottoman Empire invaded and started pillaging inside Serbia's borders in 1437. Đurađ negotiated an unfavorable peace with

1140-589: The Ottoman Empire invaded Serbia, burning and pillaging across the Southern Morava valley. At the same time, the King of Bosnia attempted to conquer Srebrenica back from the Serbs, but failed. Stefan fought back the invasion and initiated negotiations with the Sultan, after which the Ottoman troops left Serbia. However, this attack was an ominous sign of things to come. The rule of the poet, thinker, and artist Stefan Lazarević,

1200-409: The Ottoman flag on the ramparts and started shouting the Sultan's name. The enraged citizens of Smederevo rose up against Anđelović on March 31, taking him prisoner and capturing or killing most of the Ottoman detachment. Stefan Branković, who was proclaimed the new Despot, together with Helena Palaiologina, took control of Smederevo and the Despotate. During the chaos that surrounded Lazar's death and

1260-469: The Ottomans, so a broad Christian coalition of Hungarians (under John Hunyadi ), Serbs (under Despot Đurađ) and Romanians (under Vlad II Dracul ) advanced into Serbia and Bulgaria in September 1443. The large Christian army that crossed the Danube in early autumn of 1443 was made up of around 25,000 soldiers from Hungary and Poland, over 8,000 Serbian cavalry and foot soldiers, and 700 Bosnian horsemen. Serbia

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1320-430: The Ottomans, succeeded his father. Sensing that Serbia is too weak to defeat a future Ottoman incursion on the battlefield, he managed to make a deal with sultan Mehmed II on January 15, 1457. According to this deal, he was granted back most of his father's lands and a promise that Serbia will not be disturbed by the Ottomans until Lazar's death. Lazar in turn had to pay a tribute , which was reduced because he no longer had

1380-465: The Serbian Despotate. This conflict ended with the death of Vukašin and the complete annihilation of the Zlatonosović family, but directly led into another conflict with Serbia itself. In the spring of 1433, Despot Đurađ annexed parts of Usora , together with the trade outpost Zvonik ( Zvornik ) and fortress Teočak . Đurađ married his daughter Katarina to Ulrich II of Celje in 1433, a close cousin of

1440-528: The Serbian-Bulgarian area of Znepolje . For the next twelve years, Stefan remained in good relations with Mehmed, which made the recovery of medieval Serbia possible. On 28 April 1421, Stefan's nephew and ruler of Zeta , Balša III died without an heir, leaving his lands to his uncle. With this and territorial gains from the Kingdom of Hungary, Serbia restored most of its traditional territories. In 1425,

1500-624: The Sultan by giving him the town of Braničevo . In 1438 the Sultan attacked again. This time, the despot had to let them seize Ždrelo and Višesav : the peace that followed was not longer than the previous one. In 1439 the Ottoman army, headed by the sultan Murad II himself, again attacked and sacked Serbia. Despot Đurađ fled to Hungary in May 1439, leaving his son Grgur Branković and Jerina's brother Thomas Kantakouzenos to defend Smederevo. After three months of siege, Smederevo fell on August 18, 1439, while Novo Brdo resisted conquest for two entire years , falling on June 27, 1441. At that point

1560-485: The Sultan continued his invasion of Serbia. This time, the Ottomans focused on taking southern Serbia first. Novo Brdo was besieged with heavy cannons and fell on June 1, 1455, after forty days of resistance. The rest of southern Serbia was occupied soon after that. At the same time, Despot Đurađ was trying to convince the Hungarians to launch another crusade, but returned empty-handed to Smederevo. In early 1456, he accepted

1620-537: The Venetian forces. It finally fell to the Ottomans during the massive siege of Shkodra in 1478. There are the remains of 11 houses inside the castle walls. 42°07′25″N 19°36′40″E  /  42.1235°N 19.6112°E  / 42.1235; 19.6112 This article about a castle in Albania is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Serbian Despot The Serbian Despotate ( Serbian : Српска деспотовина / Srpska despotovina )

1680-469: The bishop of Lipljan was granted the honorary title of metropolitan bishop, and since that time they were called metropolitans of Lipljan or Gračanica. Of the former monastic compound, only the church has survived. The narthex and the tower were added a few decades later, in order to protect the frescoes on the west facade. The narthex was heavily damaged by the Ottomans several times between 1379–1383, when

1740-499: The blind Stefan Branković, Lazar's widow Helena Palaiologina and Grand Duke Mihailo Anđelović . Mihailo Anđelović, whose brother was the Ottoman Grand Vizier Mahmud-pasha Anđelović, began to plot with the Ottomans behind the backs of Stefan and Helena. In March, he brought a small detachment of Ottoman soldiers into Smederevo to reinforce his own bid for the Despotate. But the soldiers unexpectedly raised

1800-474: The capital was well-prepared and the Ottomans, upon hearing that Hunyadi would cross the Danube to reinforce the Serbs, soon lifted their siege of Smederevo. The Sultan retreated back to Sofia with loot and slaves, leaving most of his army at Kruševac. A smaller Serbian army under Voivode Nikola Skobaljić , which was in Dubočica, cut off from the north, defeated an Ottoman army near Leskovac on September 24 , while

1860-567: The centre of the Eparchy of Lipljan . Stefan Milutin's ktetor comment are written on the southern wall, including "I have seen the ruins and the decay of the Holy Virgin's temple of Gračanica, the bishopric of Lipljan, so I have built it from the ground and painted and decorated it both from inside and outside". In 1346, when the Serbian Archbishopric was raised to the rank of Patriarchate ,

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1920-603: The church by Patriarch Arsenije III . After the World War II it was renewed by nuns and has been serving as a convent since. Today there are 24 sisters in the monastery who are active in icon painting , agriculture , sewing and other monastic obediences. In 1999 the monastery was bombed twice by NATO airplanes . After the Kosovo War (1998–99), Bishop of Raška and Prizren Artemije Radosavljević transferred his official seat to this monastery from Prizren and since then

1980-562: The church got its leaden roofing, and in 1620 the large cross with crucifix was made on the iconostasis. The monastery was exposed to new damages toward the end of the 17th century, in the Great Turkish War , after the second siege of Vienna - in which the Serbs took part on the Christian side. Turks removed the leaden cross and pulled out the floor tiles, together with the treasure hidden in

2040-530: The death of the Metropolitan of Gračanica Dionisije covers the southeastern part of the narthex. The paintings of Gračanica rank highest among the achievements of Milutin's period, characterized by influences of the Byzantine splendiferous and luxurious style called the Paleologan Renaissance . In terms of style, they are also related to the art of the other of Milutin's foundations. The design of

2100-417: The despotate to his nephew, Đurađ Branković, who succeeded him upon his death on July 19, 1427. Đurađ was confirmed as despot by the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaeologus in 1429. As an immediate result of Stefan's death, Serbia had to return Belgrade to the Kingdom of Hungary, leaving Serbia without a capital city. With the wealthy southern cities dangerously close to the Ottoman border, Đurađ constructed

2160-745: The exonarthex, commissioned by Patriarch Makarije Sokolović . There are some paintings in the narthex that date back to the late 14th and early 15th centuries, including the Baptism of Jesus , parts of the Virgin's Acathistus Hymns and the Ecumenical Councils . Two subjects, however, dominate the narthex of Gračanica: the Doxology to the Holy Virgin and the procession of the Serbian archbishops from Saint Sava to Patriarch Makarije Sokolović . A historical composition of

2220-655: The first ever painted, which starts with Stefan Nemanja and ends with Milutin. Also in the narthex, there is an exhaustive illustration of the Last Judgment . The scenes from the life of St. Nicholas are in the north parecclesion , while the walls of the south one display scenes from the Old Testament and the lives of Christ and the Mother of God . The master painters supposedly were Michael and Eutihije with their assistants. There are also considerable frescoes from 1570 in

2280-420: The main army under Đurađ Branković, together with Hungarian force led by Hunyadi, crushed the Ottomans at Kruševac , capturing their commander, Firuz-bey. But these successes only bought little time. Nikola Skobaljić's resistance, which due to his army's low numbers came to be respected by the Turks themselves, was crushed by another Ottoman force on November 16 and he was executed. In the early spring of 1455,

2340-520: The monastery has become not only the most important spiritual but also the national and political center of the Serb community in Kosovo . The monastery was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and on 13 July 2006 it was placed on UNESCO 's World Heritage List under the name of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo as an extension of the Visoki Dečani site which was overall placed on

2400-583: The nave deal with the earthly life of Jesus and the ecclesiastical calendar . The focal paintings of Gračanica include the Festival Cycle , the Passion and the miracles of Christ . Inside the narthex, there are portraits of the founders: King Milutin and Queen Simonida , Queen Hélène d'Anjou (king's mother) as a nun and King Milutin as a monk . Of particular importance is the Nemanjić dynasty genealogy,

2460-472: The number and size of other Vlasts within the Despotate. Gra%C4%8Danica monastery The Gračanica Monastery ( Serbian : Манастир Грачаница , romanized :  Manastir Gračanica ; Albanian : Manastiri i Graçanicës ) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo . It was built by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321. The monastery was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990, and on 13 July 2006 it

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2520-508: The only free part of the Despotate that remained was Zeta. The latter, however, was soon attacked by the Venetians and by Voivode Stefan Vukčić Kosača . The last of Đurađ's cities in the region were conquered in March 1442. The first Ottoman governor of Serbia was Ishak-Beg , who in 1443 was replaced by Isa-Beg Isaković . In Hungary, Đurađ Branković managed to talk Hungarian leaders into expelling

2580-422: The printing press, Nikanor obtained numerous service books and objects for monastic use. The royal doors were commissioned in 1564 by Metropolitan Dionisije, whose death is represented on a fresco in the narthex. Major restoration took place through efforts of Patriarch Makarije Sokolović . All the openings on the external narthex were walled up and new frescoes were completed in 1570. Thanks to Patriarch Pajsije ,

2640-461: The rich mines of Novo Brdo. Temporarily relieved of the southern threat, Lazar turned to the north and Hungarian internal battles, which he joined on the side of King Ladislaus , managing to capture the town of Kovin and several other towns on the left bank of the Danube in 1457. Immediately after death of their mother Jerina on May 3, 1457, the younger generation of the Branković family broke out in

2700-671: The ruler of Serbia, in the summer of 1427, Đurađ was faced with the challenge of an Ottoman invasion. The Ottomans occupied Kruševac and Niš , the Dubočica region including Leskovac , and most of the Toplica region. They withdrew after unsuccessfully besieging Novo Brdo for several months. King Tvrtko II of Bosnia came into conflict with the Bosnian noble family of Zlatonosovići in November 1430, over alleged cooperation between Vukašin Zlatonosović and

2760-506: The southern part of Serbia to Vuk, and to accept Ottoman vassalage. However, Suleyman's brother Musa soon rebelled against Suleyman, and Stefan sided with Musa in the 1410 battle of Kosmidion . Musa's army was defeated and Suleyman sent Vuk to claim Stefan's territories; Vuk was captured and executed by a Musa vassal. Through Emperor Manuel II , Stefan confirmed his despotic rights and returned to Belgrade and annexed Vuk's lands. In 1411 King Sigismund of Hungary rewarded Stefan's loyalty with

2820-407: The spaces between the cross-shafts, four smaller domes give a regular structure to the whole crowning complex. Three three-sided apses (the central one being the largest) put a mild distinction on the altar space externally. The diaconicon and the prothesis are separated by full walls. Between the nave and the narthex there are wide, heavy pillars and the katolikon (conventual church)

2880-452: The split in the provisional regency, King Stjepan Tomaš of Bosnia attacked the Despotate's holdings west of the Drina river and conquered most of them, leaving only Teočak in the Despotate's hands. Mihail Silagyi likewise seized most of Lazar's towns north of the Danube. Immediately after Mihailo Anđelović's failed coup, the Ottomans began another invasion of Serbia. Although they would not make any significant territorial gains until 1459, this

2940-590: The state's central administration, under the Despot as the monarch and chief authority. In 1410, Despot Stefan Lazarević enacted an administrative reform dividing the territory of the Despotate into districts. A district was called a Vlast (Serbian Cyrillic: Власт), and each Vlast was governed in the Despot's name by a Voivode. This reform, made necessary by the increasing threat of Turkish invasion, gave those Voivodes an authority over both civilian and military matters in their respective districts. The Vlasts were retained by

3000-546: The title as monarchical. While in Constantinople , Stefan argued with his brother Vuk Lazarević . As they were returning to Serbia from Constantinople, Stefan's armies attacked Vuk at Tripolje near the Gračanica monastery . Stefan's army was victorious and Vuk allied himself with the new Ottoman sultan Suleyman (I) Çelebi . In 1404, concerned about unrest in the Ottoman Empire ( Ottoman Interregnum ) Stefan allied with Hungarian king Sigismund, who awarded him with Belgrade ,

3060-405: The tower was burned and a fire devoured a rich collection of manuscripts and other precious objects. The narthex was reconstructed in 1383. Again, Gračanica suffered damages at the time of the Battle of Kosovo (1389). During Ottoman rule, Gračanica became an important cultural center. In the time of Metropolitan Nikanor (1528–1555) several icons were painted on the altarpiece . Also, because of

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3120-493: The very rich silver mines, Srebrenica and Novo Brdo , some of the wealthiest in Europe at that time. Belgrade became one of the largest cities in Europe, numbering over 100,000 people. The rule and deeds of despot Stefan Lazarević were described by his contemporary, the learned writer Constantine of Kostenets , who wrote the " Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević " ( c. 1430). As Despot Stefan had no children of his own, he bequeathed

3180-550: Was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is mistakenly considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate , a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia , lasted for another sixty years, experiencing a cultural, economic, and political renaissance, especially during the reign of Despot Stefan Lazarević . After the death of Despot Đurađ Branković in 1456,

3240-510: Was a period of renewed artistic development in Serbia. Stefan wrote one of the major medieval Serbian literary works, Slovo ljubve ('The word of love'), and he amassed one of the largest libraries in the Balkans at that period. Apart from political stability as a result of Stefan's ability to keep a distance from both the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, the Serbian economy was also helped by

3300-455: Was fully restored by the Peace of Szeged on August 15, 1444. Its borders were the same as before 1437, with the exception of the southern part of Zeta, which remained under Venice, and fort Golubac, which was returned to Serbia even though it was lost much earlier, in 1427. King Tomaš of Bosnia started another war with Despot Đurađ in 1446 and managed to take Srebrenica. However, in September 1448,

3360-464: Was killed in the Battle of Kosovo on June 28, 1389, his young son Stefan Lazarević succeeded him. Stefan's mother Princess Milica ruled as his regent until he reached adulthood. A wise and diplomatic woman, she managed to allay the Ottoman threat by marrying her daughter Olivera to Sultan Bayezid I . After the Battle of Kosovo, in 1390 or 1391, Serbia became a vassal Ottoman state, and Stefan Lazarević

3420-481: Was obligated to support the Ottoman empire in battle. He did so in the 1395 Battle of Rovine against the Wallachian prince Mircea I and the 1396 Battle of Nicopolis against the Hungarian king Sigismund . Sultan Bayezid awarded Stefan with the majority of Vuk Branković 's lands, as Branković sided with the Hungarian king at Nicopolis. When Timur 's army entered the Ottoman realm, Stefan Lazarević participated in

3480-441: Was placed on UNESCO 's World Heritage List under the name of Medieval Monuments in Kosovo as an extension of the Visoki Dečani site, which was overall placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger . The Gračanica Monastery is one of King Milutin's last monumental endowments. The monastery is located in Gračanica , a Serbian enclave in the close vicinity of Lipjan , the old residence of bishops of Lipljan . The monastery

3540-481: Was reduced to only a strip of land along the Danube. Sultan Mehmed II decided to conquer Serbia completely and arrived at Smederevo; the new ruler did not even try to defend the city. After negotiations, Bosnians were allowed to leave the city and Serbia was officially conquered by Turks on June 20, 1459. In 1404 Hungarian King Sigismund lend parts of Syrmia, Banat and Bačka to Serbian Despot Stefan Lazarević for governing, later succeeded by Đurađ Branković . After

3600-504: Was the beginning of the end for the Serbian Despotate. Stefan Branković ruled until 8 April 1459, when he was overthrown by a plot between Helena Palaiologina and King Tomaš, whose son briefly ruled as the new Despot. Stjepan Tomašević lost two countries to the Ottomans: Serbia in 1459 and Bosnia in 1463. His appointment as new despot was highly unpopular but pushed hard by his father, King Stjepan Tomaš of Bosnia. By this time Serbia

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