Lazar II Branković (c. 1421 -
20 February 1458) was a
Serbian
despot, prince of Rascia from 1456 to 1458. He was the third son of
Đurađ Branković and his wife
Jerina Kantacusina. He was succeeded by his elder brother, despot
Stefan III Brankovic.
Family
Lazar and his relations are named in "Dell'Imperadori Constantinopolitani", a manuscript held in the
Vatican Library. The document is also known as the "Massarelli manuscript" because it was found in the papers of
Angelo Massarelli (1510 - 1566). Masarelli is better known as the general secretary of the
Council of Trent, who recorded the daily occurrings of the council.
The Massarelli manuscript names him as a son of
Đurađ Branković and
Eirene Kantakouzene. "The Byzantine Lady: Ten Portraits 1250-1500" (1994) by D. M. Nicol questioned his maternity, suggesting Đurađ had a prior marriage to a daughter of
John 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.
On
11 September,
1429, Durad made a donation to
Esphigmenou Monastery at
Mount 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.
The oldest sibling listed in the Massarelli document was
Grgur Branković. The 1429 document mentions him with the title of
Despot. According to "The Late Medieval Balkans, A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest" (1994) by J. V. A. Fine, Grgur was appointed governor of territories of southern
Serbia associated to the
House of Branković. He was reportedly appointed by
Murad II of the
Ottoman Empire in 1439. In April 1441, Grgur was accused of plotting against Murad and his governorship terminated. He was imprisoned in
Amasya and blinded on
8 May,
1441. According to "Monumenta Serbica Spectantia Historiam Serbiae, Bosniae, Ragusii" (1858) by
Franc Miklošič, Grgur and his brothers co-signed a charter by which Durad confirmed the privileges of the
Republic of Ragusa. The charted was dated to
17 September,
1445. According to the
"Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten" (1978) by Detlev Schwennicke, Grgur retired to a monastery under the monastic name "German". According to Fine, Grgur resurfaced in 1458, claiming the succession of the vacant throne of
Rascia for himself or his son. 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.
The Massarelli manuscript next names an older sister of Lazar,
Mara Branković. She was one of the wives of Murad II. Then are listed
Stefan Branković and "Cantacuzina", a sister with the Latinized version of their mother's last name. Later genealogies give her name as Katarina. She married
Ulrich II of Celje. Lazar is listed fifth and last, the youngest child of the marriage
Reign
Both Grgur and Stefan, his older brothers, were blinded by orders of
Murad II in 1441. Lazar apparently became the heir to their father as the only son not to be handicapped. Đurađ died on
24 December,
1456. Lazar succeeded him as planned.
According to Fine, his brief reign mostly included family quarrels with his mother and siblings. In 1457, Lazar gave an oath of subservience to
Mehmed II, son and successor of Murad II. Fine considers this to be an attempt to prevent an Ottoman invasion. His only other decision of consequence was to appoint Mihailo Anđelović, a member of the
Angelos family, as his chief official. Mihailo would briefly serve as head of a regency council following the death of his lord.
Lazar died on
20 January,
1458.
George Sphrantzes recorded the date but not the cause.
Marriage and children
In 1446, Lazar married Helena Palaiologina. She was a daughter of
Thomas Palaiologos,
Ruler of Morea, and Catherine Zaccaria of the
Principality of Achaea.
Her maternal grandparents were
Centurione II Zaccaria and Creusa Tocco. They would have have three daughters:
- Jerina Branković, wife of John Kastrioti, the son son of Skanderbeg and Andronike Arianiti.
See also
