Stefan I Crnojević

Stefan a.k.a. Stefanica Crnojević (Serbian Cyrillic: Стефан, Стефаница Црнојевић; 1426-1465) was a medieval lord of the Principality of Zeta (in Old Montenegro), from the House of Crnojević that ruled it from 1451 to 1465.

Stefan was born in 1426 as the third son of the Serbian Duke Đurađ Đurašević Crnojević and the daughter of Albanian nobleman Kojë Zakarija. He became nicknamed "Stefanica". When Stefanica grew up, he became one of the many noblemen who governed parts of Zeta within the Serbian Despotate, but did not agree with the other Crnojević members and pursued his goals on his own,outside the mainstream of the family.

With the temporary Ottoman occupation of the Serbian Despotate's main continental territories in 1441, Despot Đurađ Branković came to Zeta from the Ragusian Republic to organize resistance and liberate the occupied parts, but the attempt did not come to fruition and resulted with the blinding of the despot's two captured sons in retaliation. With his departure back to Hungary, Stefan aligned with the Bosnian Duke from the Hum Stefan Vukčić Kosača the same year.

Stefanica married the oldest daughter of Albanian lord John Kastrioti, Maria. This family link became really important when in 1443 John's son and Maria's brother George Scanderbey rebelled in Albania against his Turkish sovereign and served as a shield against Ottoman expansion to the Crnojević's lands for decades. In 1444 lord Stefan Crnojević found strong new protectors in the Venetian Republic, but with the restoration of the Serbian Despotate after the Crusade, Stefan gave his loyalty to Despot Đurađ Branković in 1448.

After the disappearance of Stefan's brother Goycinus from political life in 1451, Stefan took over the leadership of the house of Crnojević and became the ruler of a large part of Zeta. Stefanica was never good with his brothers and always led politics on his own. To strengthen his position, he decided to immediately seek foreign protection. In 1452 he gave his loyalty to Venice, and became her hired Captain, subsequently entitled "Duke of Upper Zeta". Wisely, he anticipated the downfall of the Serbian Despots, and decided to align with the Venetians. In 1455 the Ottoman Turks invaded Serbia and conquered all of its territories south of the Western Morava river, completely cutting Zeta off from the core of the Despotate. Therefore, Duke Stefan Crnojević along with representatives from all 51 municipalities from Upper Zeta signed an agreement the same year with the Venetians in Vranjina, by which Upper Zeta accepted Venetian rule. Venice came to rule only the cities, while all internal affairs were left to duke Stefan. The Republic of Venice also bound itself not to mettle with the ecclesiastical authority Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan of Zeta in any way.

Montenegro slowly became the name of Stefan's Zetan realm. He reigned peacefully without the intervention of Venice and the Ottomans until his death in late 1464 or the beginning of 1465, when his son Ivan succeeded him.