During the reign of King Dragutin in 1284, Belgrade became part of the Serbian Medieval State for the first time. Dragutin was married to Hungarian Princess Katarina, the daughter of king Stephen V. After Dragutin’s abdication from the Serbian throne in favor of his brother Milutin, king Dragutin made a contract with the Hungarian court, through which he gained possession of Belgrade and its surrounding areas. Very few historical sources describing this event have been preserved, but in the writings of Serbian archbishop Danilo II, there is a record of Milutin’s wife, Queen Simonida Byzantine princess, visiting Belgrade. In accordance with the instructions of her husband, she arrived with an escort in order to visit her brother in law, Dragutin and his wife. A lavish welcome was organized, and she bowed to an icon of Madonna which was considered miraculous. It’s not completely certain when this visit took place, but historians believe that it couldn’t have been prior to 1315.
Dragutin ruled over Belgrade for around 30 years. Shortly after his brother’s death in 1316, King Milutin conquered his territories, and locked up his nephew Vladislav. Still, the Hungarian army managed to overcome the strong resistance shown by Milutin, occupied Belgrade and annexed it.
Translated by Filip Šuica
