Stefan Uroš III Nemanjić

http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00292999&tree=LEO

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Uro%C5%A1_III_De%C4%8Danski_of_...

Stefan Uroš III Dečanski (Serbian: Стефан Урош III Дечански) (c. 1285 – 11 November 1331) reigned as king of Serbia from 1321 to 8 September 1331. He took his name from the great monastery he built at Dečani.

History

He was the son of King Stefan Uroš II and Anna of Bulgaria. His maternal grandparents were George I of Bulgaria and his wife Maria, sister of Ivan Asen III of Bulgaria.

While still a youth, he was sent by his father as a hostage with his entourage to Nogai Khan of the Golden Horde, to maintain the peace between the Serbs and Tatars. He stayed at Nogai's court until the Khan's death in 1299.[1] On his return, he was entrusted with the governorship of Zeta (i.e., Montenegro).

He was married (first) to Theodora, daughter of Smilets of Bulgaria. He was secondly married to Byzantine princess Maria Palaiologina.

In 1314 his father, quarrelling with Stefan, sent him to Constantinople to have him blinded there. Stefan was never blinded properly but had to wear black bandage over his eyes. In 1320 he was permitted to return to Serbia and had to defeat several pretenders to the throne before being crowned in 1321. These included his half-brother Stefan Constantine, whom he defeated and killed in 1322, and his cousin Stefan Vladislav II, whom he defeated and exiled in 1324.

The claimants enjoyed foreign support, and the victorious king was faced by the alliance of Bulgaria and the Byzantine Empire. Michael Asen III of Bulgaria divorced Stefan Uroš III's sister Anna and married the Byzantine princess Theodora Palaiologina instead. The allies intended to join forces for a major invasion of Serbia in 1330. This led to the most significant event of Stefan Uroš III's reign, the Battle of Velbuzhd, in which he defeated the Bulgarians and killed Bulgarian emperor Michael Asen III.

Hearing of his ally's defeat, the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos retreated, turning to easier prey. His conquests allowed him to push the Serbian borders to the south into Byzantine Macedonia. Some of his courtiers, however, were discontented with his policies and conspired to dethrone him in favour of his son Dušan. The latter imprisoned Stefan Uroš III in the castle of Zvečan, where he presently died a violent death by strangulation.[2]

Stefan is seen as noble character, and the Serbian Orthodox Church had him canonized. His remains are venerated at the church of the Visoki Dečani monastery, in Kosovo, built by him. His feast day is 24 November.

Crown of Stefan Dečanski is kept in the Cetinje Monastery in Cetinje, Montenegro.[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Uro%C5%A1_III_De%C4%8Danski_of_...

Stephen Uroš III of Dečani (Serbian: Стефан Урош III Дечански, Stefan Uroš III Dečanski, Serbian pronunciation: [st%C9%9B%CC%82fa%CB%90n ûrɔʃ trɛ̂tɕiː dɛ̂tʃaːnskiː]; ca 1285 – 11 November 1331) was King of Serbia from January 6, 1322 to 8 September 1331. He defeated and killed several of his family members who wanted to take the throne from him. He took his epithet Dečanski from the great monastery he built at Dečani.

Family

• By his first wife, Theodora of Bulgaria, Stefan Uroš III had two children:

1. Stefan Uroš IV Dušan, who succeeded as king
2. Dusica

• By his second wife, Maria Palaiologina, Stefan Uroš III had:

1. Simeon Uroš Palaiologos
2. Jelena Nemanjić Šubić, who married Mladen III Šubić from Croatian Šubić noble family
3. Theodora Nemanjić, who married sebastokrator Dejan Dragaš, mother of Constantine Dragas

   ---

-http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SERBIA.htm#StefanUrosIIIdied1331

STEFAN UROŠ of Serbia, illegitimate son of STEFAN UROŠ II MILUTIN King of Serbia & his mistress --- ([1276]-murdered 3 Nov 1336, bur Visoki Dečani monastery). The primary source which confirms his parentage has not yet been identified. His father sent him as a hostage to the Tatars in [1293], as a gesture of appeasement to forestall an attack on Serbia, and he remained there until 1299[226]. His father gave him Zeta as an appanage on his return[227]. He revolted against his father in 1314, was defeated, captured, maybe blinded, and exiled with his family to Constantinople, although they were allowed to return in 1320[228] when he was given the appanage of Budimlje [Ivangrad][229]. He claimed the throne on his father's death in 1321, asserting that he had miraculously regained his sight[230], and was crowned 6 Jan 1322 by the Archbishop of Serbia as STEFAN UROŠ III "Dečanski" King of Serbia. In 1323, he defeated and killed his half-brother Konstantin, retaking Zeta, and forced his cousin Vladislav to flee, retaking his Serbian lands. In [1326], he supported his father-in-law's secession in Thessaloniki, which signalled a revival of Serbian interest in Byzantine politics[231]. He failed to intervene in 1328 when Emperor Andronikos III successfully rebelled against his grandfather[232]. He attacked western Macedonia in 1328, and defeated Tsar Mihail III Šišman of Bulgaria at Velbužd in 1330 after his Byzantine allies failed to arrive for the battle[233]. A large segment of the Serbian nobility was dissatisfied with his failure to wage war on Byzantium as a result of this. After quarrelling with his son Dušan, he sent an army into Zeta to capture him but Dušan fled. Dušan caught up with his father at Petrić where on 21 Aug 1331, he was deposed, imprisoned in chains, and later murdered[234]. A document records the death of “Stephanus Uroš III, Serbiæ rex” dated 3 Nov 1336[235]. He founded Dečani monastery.

m firstly ([24 Aug 1293/1298]) TEODORA of Bulgaria, daughter of SMILEC Tsar of the Bulgarians & his first wife --- of Bulgaria (-Oct 1322). The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not yet been identified. Her marriage took place when her future husband was a hostage with the Tatars (with whom her father had close ties), where he was sent in [1293] as a gesture of appeasement to forestall an attack on Serbia and where he remained until 1299. Fine suggests that it took place in late 1298[236].

m secondly ([1 Nov 1325/31 Aug 1326]) as her first husband, MARIA Palaiologina, daughter of IOANNES Komnenos Palaiologos panhypersébastos, Governor of Thessaloniki & his wife Eirene Metochitissa ([1313/14]-7 Apr 1355). Ioannes Kantakuzenos records that "Ioannem…Mariam filiam" married "Stephano Cralæ Triballorum principi"[237]. This marriage was arranged by Maria's father to obtain Serbian support for his rebellion in Thessaloniki[238]. She married secondly ([1336/37]) as his second wife, Jovan Oliver, despot in the area of Veles. The primary source which confirms her second marriage has not yet been identified. She became a nun as MARTA.

Stefan Uroš III had & his first wife had two children:

  Stefan Uroš III & his second wife had three children: