SERBIA IS BECOMING A KINGDOM IN 2017? Soon 8 centuries since the coronation of Stefan the First (PHOTO)

There is one big misconception about our history, and it is related to the question when Serbia became a kingdom. In fact, it is often said that we become a Kingdom in 1217 when Stefan the First Crowned, the son of Grand Duke Stefan Nemanja, received the crown from Rome and became king.

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This is not true. Serbia first became a kingdom in 1077, when Duklja (present-day Montenegro) was the center of Serbian countries and when the Royal crown from Rome was received by Mihailo Vojisavljević.

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 However, since this, our anniversary (thousandths!) is still decades away, it would be useful to remind ourselves of the latter, VIII, which is only two years away and we hope that we, as a country, will mark the fitting, in due time.

Basically, how did it come to Nemanjic Serbia growing into a kingdom? It all began at the National Assembly near St. Peter's Church in Ras in 1196 where Stefan Nemanja abdicated, he became a monk and as a successor appointed his middle son Stefan, who he considered the most appropriate for the throne. The older son, Vukan, became the Prince of Duklja. Rastko, the youngest son, had become monk Sava earlier.

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Sveti kralj Stefan Prvovenčani na srednjevekovnoj fresci. Foto: Wikipedia

Vukan was however not pleased with that and took the title of King of Duklja, which was worn by all the rulers and the Serbian land since the aforementioned Mikhail Dynasty Vojisavljević, from which, as a younger branch probably formed the Nemanjić dynasty (Vukan is, incidentally, declared the King of Duklja, Dalmatia, Trebinje, Toplice and Hvosna, rather Metohija). Then, with the help of King Emeric, Stefan overthrows the government and governs Raska during 1202-04, while his brother finds refuge in Bulgaria.

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Then there is another crucial point: the Crusaders conquered Constantinople, Byzantine power disappears, Bulgaria grows. Bulgarians are taking territory around Nis, and Vukan's government weakens. A civil war ensues and Stefan overtakes Raska. Sava mediates and reconciles the brothers in 1205; Stefan receives recognition from Vukan for the championship as Governor of Raska, and Vukan again becomes the only pro rata prince "of southwestern Serbia."

Foto: Wikipedia

Stefan then removes his first wife, Princess Borromeo Eudicia from the court (under the pretext that it is suffering from mange; historians claim that there were mutual accusations of infidelity) and marries Ana Dandolo, grand-daughter of Venetian Doge Enrico Dandolo (creator conquest of Constantinople). While the Orthodox Bulgarians beat the Roman Catholic crusaders, Stefan wins over Nis, Vranje and Polog. Bulgaria and the Kingdom then form an alliance, but our army hails all.

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Finally, Stefan turns to the Roman Pontiff and seeks the royal crown. He did it in 1204 when he regained Raska, but Vukan, who was wearing the royal Duklja crown and wanted to be the only Serbian king then opposed it. Ten years after the reconciliation between the two Nemanjić brothers, Stefan again asks the Vatican for the regal crown, and this time around, receives it from Pope Honorius III.

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Foto: Tanjug/Oksana Toskić, Wikimedia/Public domain

Thus in 1217, in Monastery Zica, a special papal legate who came through Split to Serbia crowned Stefan who becomes First Crowned (meaning first of Nemanjic which is crowned with the royal crown, though technically different because Vukan wore the Duklja crown; complicated, is it not? That's probably why this had to be specified).

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This means that, as far as Rome and Western Europe, Serbian is an independent state. Rulers of Duklja thus formally ceased to wear the royal title which is permanently moved to Raska.

Foto: Wikipedia

Finally, when two years later Saint Sava secured the autocephalous Serbian archbishopric, we acquired all medieval statehood.

If we are going to mark this event on January 4, 2017, we should now begin to get ready. As for the idea from the title, we have to say that we take a neutral stance with regards the restoration of the monarchy; the title only indicates the trend sentiment among the citizens of Serbia that goes towards the restoration of the kingdom in its constitutional, parliamentary and democratic form.

(Telegraf.co.uk)