Saint Stefan Milutin

Stefan Uroš II Milutin (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан Урош II Милутин, romanized: Stefan Uroš II Milutin; c. 1253 – 29 October 1321), known posthumously as "the Holy King" (Свети краљ), was the King of Serbia between 1282–1321, a member of the Nemanjić dynasty. He was one of the most powerful rulers of Serbia in the Middle Ages and one of the most prominent European monarchs of his time. Milutin is credited with strongly resisting the efforts of Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos to impose Roman Catholicism on the Balkans after the Union of Lyons in 1274. During his reign, Serbian economic power grew rapidly, mostly due to the development of mining. He founded Novo Brdo, which became an internationally important silver mining site. As most of the Nemanjić monarchs, he was proclaimed a saint by the Serbian Orthodox Church with a feast day on October 30. He was the youngest son of King Stefan Uroš I and his wife, Queen Helen, who was a distant cousin of Sicilian King Charles I of Anjou, but herself not a scion of the Capetan House of Anjou. Unexpectedly Milutin became king of Serbia after the abdication of his brother Stefan Dragutin in 1282. He was around 29 at the time. Immediately upon his accession he invaded Byzantine lands and conquered the northern parts of Macedonia including the city of Skoplje, which became his capital. Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos began preparations for war but died before their completion. The next year Milutin advanced with his brother deep into Byzantine territory all the way to Kavala. In 1284, Milutin also gained control of northern Albania and the city of Dyrrachion (Durrës). For the next 15 years there were no changes in the war. Peace was concluded in 1299 when Milutin kept the conquered lands as the dowry of Simonis, daughter of Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos who became his fourth wife. In the Nerodimlje župa Milutin had three courts, in Nerodimlje (protected by Petrič), Svrčin and Pauni.