{{other uses|Anna of Serbia (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox royalty | consort = yes | name = Ana-Neda | image = Anna Neda of Serbia.jpg | succession = Empress consort of Bulgaria | reign = 1323–1324 | coronation = | spouse = Michael Asen III "Shishman" | spouse-type = Spouse | issue = Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria<br />Michael<br />Šišman<br />Lodovico | house = Nemanjić | house-type = Royal family | father = Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia | mother = Elizabeth Arpad | death_date = after 1357 | death_place = Dečani monastery? }}
'''Ana-Neda''' (Bulgarian Анна-Неда and {{lang-sr-cyr|Ана-Неда}}{{Cref2|a}}; fl. 1323–1324) was the Empress consort of Bulgaria briefly in 1323–1324 as the spouse of "Despot of Vidin" Michael Asen III "Shishman" who was elected as Emperor of Bulgaria in 1323 and Empress of Bulgaria during the 1330 - 1331.<ref name="ИК Гутенберг">{{cite book |last1=Матанов |first1=Христо |title=В търсене на средновековното време. Неравният път на българите (VII – XV в.|date=2014 |publisher=ИК Гутенберг|isbn=9786191760183}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Georgieva |first=Sashka |date=2017 |title=Bulgarian-Serbian Marital Diplomacy from the End of 13th to the Beginning of 14th Century |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=642630 |journal=Историјски часопис |language=English |issue=66 |pages=85–127 |doi=10.34298/IC1766085G |issn=0350-0802}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Georgieva |first=Sashka |date=2018 |title=THE FIRST BULGARIAN-WALLACIAN DIPLOMATIC MARRIAGE |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=679682 |journal=Études Balkaniques |language=English |issue=2 |pages=250–266 |issn=0324-1645}}</ref> Some historians believe that she may have ruled as regent for her son, but this hypothesis is meaning as controversial.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Vinulović |first=Ljubica |date=2021 |title=The Painted Program of the Matejče Monastery and the Ktetorship of Empress Jelena Nemanjić Asen as the Path to the Salvation of the Soul |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1194797 |journal=Bulgaria Mediaevalis |language=English |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=141–164 |issn=1314-2941}}</ref> She was the daughter of Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin and Princess Elizabeth Arpad,<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Bojković |first=Gordan |date=2021 |title=The Marriage of Tsar Uroš |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=1194802 |journal=Bulgaria Mediaevalis |language=English |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=223–227 |issn=1314-2941}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Mladjov |first=Ian S. R. |date=2011 |title=The Bulgarian prince and would-be emperor Lodovico |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=512798 |journal=Bulgaria Mediaevalis |language=English |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=603–618 |issn=1314-2941}}</ref> daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary and Elizabeth the Kuman, a daughter of Köten. From the marriage with Michael Asen III, Anna had at least four sons, one of whom was Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria, later probably briefly the Emperor of Bulgaria (1330–1331), by some historians.<ref name=":0" />
==Life== Ana was the daughter of Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin and his third wife, Elizabeth of Hungary.<ref>Živković 2022: 121.</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /> She was therefore possibly born sometime before 1284, when her father appears to have divorced Elizabeth to marry Anna of Bulgaria.<ref>Mladjov 2011: 613.</ref> On her paternal side, she belonged to the Nemanjić dynasty. On her maternal side, she was related to the Hungarian Árpád dynasty and the Anjou dynasty. Her aunt, Maria Árpád, was married to Charles II, King of Naples and Sicily. Anna Neda was a first cousin of Charles and Maria Árpád's sons, King Robert of Anjou and Prince Philip I of Taranto, and her son,Ivan Stefan, was a second cousin of Louis of Taranto and Queen Joanna of Anjou.
Her marriage with Michael Asen III produced: *Michael, ''despotes'' (in Vidin?), probably the eldest son, died before 1330<ref>Popov 2020: 124-129; Nikolov-Zikov 2021: 132, 171-181 considers Michael a son of Michael Asen III by his second wife, Theodora Palaiologina.</ref> *Ivan Stephen of Bulgaria, emperor of Bulgaria in 1330–1331, died between 1339 and 1357<ref>Mladjov 2011: 609.</ref><ref name=":0" /> *Šišman, potential pretender to the Bulgarian throne at Constantinople in 1341<ref>Mladjov 2011: 607.</ref> *Lodovico, pretender to the Bulgarian throne in the Kingdom of Naples, died after 1363, probably distinct from any of the above<ref>Božilov 1985: 148-149; Mladjov 2011: 609-613.</ref>
In 1324, in order to cement an alliance with the Byzantine Empire against the Serbians, Michael Asen III divorced the Serbian Ana Neda in order to marry Theodora of Byzantium.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rawson |first=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bWQFCwAAQBAJ&dq=Ana+neda+Bulgaria&pg=PT206 |title=A Clash of Thrones: The Power-crazed Medieval Kings, Popes and Emperors of Europe |date=2015-12-10 |publisher=The History Press |isbn=978-0-7509-6678-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Palairet |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eib5DAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Ivan+Stefan%22+Bulgaria&pg=PA325 |title=Macedonia: A Voyage through History (Vol. 1, From Ancient Times to the Ottoman Invasions) |date=2016-02-08 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-4438-8843-1 |language=en}}</ref> Anna Neda and her children were sent out of Tǎrnovo into the countryside, and imprisoned.<ref name=":4" />
In 1330, Michael Asen III fought the Serbian army, led by Ana's brother Stefan Uroš III, and was killed in the Battle of Velbazhd.<ref name=":4" /> Afterwards, the victorious Serbs entered Bulgaria, and convinced Bulgaria to place Ana's son Ivan Stephen on the throne.<ref>Mladjov 2011: 603-604</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Georgieva |first=Sashka |date=2010 |title=Female Politicians in the Second Bulgarian Tsardom |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=513354 |journal=Bulgaria Mediaevalis |language=English |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=113–136 |issn=1314-2941}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=T︠S︡vetkov |first=Plamen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VR5pAAAAMAAJ&q=Ana+neda+Bulgaria |title=A History of the Balkans: A Regional Overview from a Bulgarian Perspective |date=1993 |publisher=EM Text |isbn=978-0-7734-1956-8 |language=en}}</ref> During Ivan Stephen's one-year reign, Ana seems to have acted as co-ruler and held significant power.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" />
In 1331 Ivan Stephen was deposed by the Bulgarian boyars, and replaced by his father's Bulgarian nephew, Ivan Alexander.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Todorov |first1=Nikolaĭ |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zXlpAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Ivan+Stefan%22+Bulgaria |title=Bulgaria; Historical and Geographical Outline |last2=Melnishki |first2=Li︠u︡ben |last3=Dinev |first3=Li︠u︡bomir |date=1968 |publisher=Sofia P. |language=en}}</ref> Ana, Ivan Stephen, and Lodovico fled to Serbia, while Šišman fled to the Mongol "Golden Horde."<ref>Mladjov 2011: 604.</ref> The new Bulgarian emperor, Ivan Alexander, allied with Ana's nephew, the new Serbian king Stefan Dušan (who married Ivan Alexander's sister Helena), and demanded the extradition of Ana and her children from Serbia. They sought refuge in Dubrovnik, where they are found already in 1332.<ref>Mladjov 2011: 604.</ref> As indicated in Neapolitan documents, Ana sought and received the support of her Neapolitan cousins, King Robert and Queen Joanna I. In 1340, Ana was said to be about to depart for Italy, where her son Lodovico had received royal favor since 1338 and married Maria of Taranto, the illegitimate half-sister of the future King Louis I of Naples in 1342.<ref>Mladjov 2011: 604, 609, 612.</ref> Nevertheless, Ana is found at Dubrovnik between 1343 and 1346.<ref>Mladjov 2011: 604.</ref> At some point before 1357/1362, Ana had converted to Catholic Christianity like at least two of her sons (probably Ivan Stephen and certainly Lodovico), as reported by King Louis I of Naples to Pope Innocent VI.<ref>Mladjov 2011: 610-612.</ref> The date of her death is unknown.
At the end of her life, Ana may have taken monastic vows and received the name '''Jelena'''. She was buried in the Dečani monastery.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zHD-DwAAQBAJ&dq=Jelena+sister+of+de%C4%8Dani&pg=PA152 |title=Byzantium in Eastern European Visual Culture in the Late Middle Ages |date=2020-08-03 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-42137-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Janićijević |first=Jovan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHYMAQAAMAAJ&q=Jelena+of+de%C4%8Dani |title=The Cultural Treasury of Serbia |date=1998 |publisher=IDEA |isbn=978-86-7547-039-7 |language=en}}</ref> She was consecrated in the Serbian Orthodox Church as Venerable (''prepodobna'') "St. Jelena of Dečani" (Света Јелена Дечанска), her feast day is on June 3 (May 21, Julian calendar).
==Annotations== {{Cnote2 Begin|liststyle=upper-alpha}} '''Name:''' Recent Bulgarian historians call her '''Ana-Neda''' (with a dash). It has been argued that she was born '''Neda''', and upon the marriage to Michael, becoming a queen, she received the titular name '''Ana'''.<ref>Mandić 1981: "Именима Ана—Неда зову је и новији бугарски историчари. Заиста је Милутиновој кћери могло бити крштено име Неда, а кад се удала за Михаила, тамо је, као владарка, добила титуларно име Ана."</ref> However, it appears that Ana took the name '''Domenica''' as a convert to Catholic Christianity, and that this was subsequently ''translated'' as '''Neda''' (from "недеља" ''nedelja'') in Serbian, which means "Sunday," the Day of the Lord (''Dominus'').<ref>Božilov and Gjuzelev 2006: 576; Mladjov 2011: 614-615, additionally noting the absence of actual attestations of the double name "Ana Neda."</ref> {{Cnote2 End}}
==References== {{reflist|2}} *Božilov, Ivan, ''Familijata na Asenevci (1186–1460)'', Sofia, 1985. *Božilov, Ivan, and Vasil Gjuzelev, ''Istorija na srednovekovna Bǎlgarija VII-XIV vek'', Sofia, 2006. *Nikolov-Zikov, Petăr, ''Domăt na Šišman'', Sofia, 2021. *Popov, Tenčo, ''Studii vǎrhu bǎlgarskoto srednovekovno monetosečene s izvodi za istorijata'', Sofia, 2020.
==Further reading== *{{citation | first = John Van Antwerp | last = Fine | title = The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest | publisher = University of Michigan Press | year = 1994 | isbn = 978-0-472-08260-5 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Hh0Bu8C66TsC}} * Mladjov, Ian, "The Bulgarian Prince and would-be Emperor Lodovico," ''Bulgaria Mediaevalis'' 2 (2011) 603-618. *{{cite journal|title=Imperatrix Bulgariae Anna-Neda (1277-c.1346)|author=Gjuzelev Vassil|journal=Zbornik radova Vizantološkog instituta |year=2013 |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=617–627|doi=10.2298/ZRVI1350617G |doi-access=free }} *{{cite journal|last=Živković|first=Vojislav|title=Hungarian Princess Jelisaveta Arpad|url=https://www.academia.edu/99160985/%D0%A3%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B0_%D0%88%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0_%D0%90%D1%80%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%B4|journal=Седам векова од упокојења Светог краља Милутина - тематски зборник. ур. Влада Станковић, Драгољуб Марјановић. Врање: Свеправославно друштво "Преподобни Јустин Ћелијски и Врањски"|year=2022|volume=|issue=|edition=|language=serbian|pages=110-124|doi=|s2cid=}}
{{S-start}} {{S-hou|<small>Nemanjić dynasty</small>||?||?}} {{S-roy}} {{S-bef|before=Theodora Palaiologina}} {{S-ttl|title=Empress consort of Bulgaria|years=1323–1324}} {{S-aft|after=Theodora Palaiologina}} {{end}}
{{Nemanjić dynasty}} {{Bulgarian royal consorts}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ana Neda}} Category:14th-century Serbian royalty Category:Bulgarian consorts Category:Medieval Serbian princesses Category:Serbian saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Category:People from Vidin Category:Tsardom of Vidin Category:Nemanjić dynasty Category:Shishman dynasty Category:Burials at Visoki Dečani Category:14th-century Bulgarian women Category:Eastern Orthodox royal saints Category:14th-century Serbian women Category:Mothers of Bulgarian emperors Category:14th-century women regents Category:14th-century regents Category:Monastery prisoners