Serbian Orthodox Church commemorates Saint Stefan Branković

The Serbian Orthodox Church observes the feast day of Saint Stefan Branković, known as Stefan the Blind, on October 22. A former Serbian despot, Branković was the son of Đurađ Branković and Jerina.

His life was marked by significant hardship during a period of intense regional instability. While in Ottoman captivity, he and his brother Grgur were blinded with hot irons by order of the Sultan. Although he ascended to the throne as despot in 1458, he was soon forced into exile from Serbia.

Branković spent his later years in exile, eventually settling in Albania, where he married Angelina, the daughter of an Albanian nobleman and sister-in-law to Skanderbeg. Despite living in poverty and facing political displacement, he is remembered for maintaining his faith and his commitment to his family, whom he sought to protect through his final letters.