Branković dynasty

The House of Branković (Template:Lang-sr-Cyrl, pl. Brankovići / Бранковићи, ) is a Serbian medieval noble family and dynasty.Template:Sfn According to genealogies created in the first half of the 15th century, the family descends via female lineage, through marriage with the Nemanjić dynasty. The family rose to prominence during the fall of the Serbian Empire. The original family domains were centered in the Kosovo region. Later family members extended their rule over all remaining unconquered regions of Serbia making them the last sovereign rulers of medieval Serbian state. The dynasty ruled the Serbian Despotate from 1427 to 1459 and their descendants continue to claim the throne of the Despotate Serbia, some having entered the ranks of the Hungarian aristocracy, while other descendants of the dynasty continue to go by a courtesy title.Template:Sfn

Members of the family intermarried with other noble houses from neighbouring countries including Austrian and Hungarian nobility, and provided at least one wife to Ottoman Sultan. By the 17th century, Branković lineage had become part of the House of Habsburg, providing more descendants into the ruling houses of Europe. One such descendant was Maria of Yugoslavia, the wife of Alexander I of Yugoslavia. With the ascension of her son Peter II of Yugoslavia in 1934, Branković, Lazarević, and Nemanjić blood returned to the Serbian throne.

Some of the family members were:

• Vuk Branković
• Đurađ Branković (1427–1456)
• Lazar Branković (1456–1458)
• Stefan Branković (1458–1459)
• Jelena Branković, the last Queen of Bosnia
• Mara Brankovic, daughter of Despot Đurađ, and stepmother of Mehmed II

Family tree

Predecessors

• Unknown
  • Nikola, Serb župan in modern-day Northern Albania
  • Vojvoda Mladen, ruled Trebinje and Dračevica
    • Ratislava, daughter of Vojvoda Mladen, married Altoman Vojinović

Brankovići

• Branko Mladenović, son of Vojvoda Mladen, ruled Ohrid
  • Nikola Radonja, the eldest son of Branko Mladenović who governed an estate in Serres region, married Jelena Mrnjavčević and later became a monk on Hilandar
  • Vuk Branković, Prince of Raška and Kosovo, married Marija Lazarević
    • File:Simple silver crown.svg Đurađ Branković, Prince and Despot of Serbia (1427–1456)
      • Todor (died young)
      • Grgur Branković, married Jelisaveta N
        • (illegitimate) Vuk Grgurević, titular Despot of Serbia, married Barbara Frankopan
      • File:Simple silver crown.svg Stefan Branković, Despot of Serbia (20 June 1458 - 8 April 1459), exiled from Serbia 1459, a saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church, married Angelina Arianiti
        • File:Simple silver crown.svg Đorđe Branković, titular Despot of Serbia, later took monastic vows under the name Maksim, and became Metropolitan of Belgrade and Srem, died in 1516.
          • (uncertain) Jelisaveta, married Alessio Spani, Lord of Drivasto and Polog
        • File:Simple silver crown.svg Jovan Branković, Despot of Serbia, married Jelena Jakšić
          • Marija, married Ferdinand Frankopan, of the House of Frankopan
          • Jelena, married Peter IV Rareş, Prince of Moldavia
          • Ana, married Fiodor Sanguszko, Marshal of Volhynia
          • Marija Magdalena, married Iwan Wiśniowiecki, a noble from Volhynia
        • Marija, married Bonifacio III, Mongrave of Montferrat
        • (uncertain) Milica Despina, married Neagoe Basarab, prince of Wallachia
      • File:Simple silver crown.svg Lazar Branković, Despot of Serbia (24 December 1456 - 20 June 1458), married Jelena Palaiologina
        • Jelena, married File:Simple silver crown.svg Stjepan Tomašević, King of Bosnia (1461–1463) and Despot of Serbia (1459),
        • Jerina, married Gjon Kastrioti II, son of Skanderbeg
        • Milica, married Leonardo III Tocco, Lord of Epirus
      • Jelena
      • Mara, married Murad II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
      • Katarina Branković, married Ulrich II, Count of Celje
    • Grgur
    • Lazar
  • Grgur Branković, Lord of Polog under Vukašin Mrnjavčević
  • Teodora Branković, married George Thopia, Prince of Albania and Lord of Durazzo

External links

• House of Brankovic, Marko Pistalo, No 3205, 2013.
• Holy line of the Brankovics by Željko Fajfrić