Stjepan I of Croatia
| Stephen I | |
|---|---|
| King of Croatia | |
| Reign | 1030 – 1058 |
| Predecessor | Krešimir III of Croatia |
| Successor | Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia |
| Born | c. 988 |
| Died | 1058 |
| Burial | Church of St. Stephen, Solin |
| Spouse | Hicela Orseolo |
| House | House of Trpimirović, cadet line House of Krešimirović |
| Father | Krešimir III of Croatia |
| Religion | Christian |
Stephen I Krešimirović (Croatian: Stjepan I Krešimirović) (c. 988 – 1058) was a King of Croatia from c. 1030 until 1058 and a member of House of Trpimirović, first of the Krešimirović branch. Stephen I was the first Croatian king whose given name was "Stephen" ("Stjepan"), as Držislav added the name Stephen at his coronation. His ban was Stephen Prasca.
As the son of former King Svetoslav Suronja, who gave him as a hostage to Pietro II Orseolo, he married Hicela Orseolo, who bore him two sons: Peter Krešimir IV, who succeeded him as the King of Croatia and Častimir, the father of the future Croatian King Stephen II.
Stephen formally succeeded his father Krešimir III in 1030, although it is likely that he co-ruled with him from 1028. The King continued his predecessors' ambitions of spreading rule over the coastal cities and conducted activities in that course greatly, but it was all eventually in vain. He focused on rebuilding Croatia's military strength.
Between 1038 and 1041, Stephen managed to successfully conquer Zadar from the Venetians for a short period, possibly with the help of the newly crowned Hungarian king Peter Orseolo, his nephew.
In 1035, the Carinthian count Aldabero sought help in Croatia against the Holy Roman Emperor Conrad II, who he was in a feud with since he succeeded the throne. Aldabero was accused on 18 May 1035 during the Bamberg assembly for conspiring with Croatia. Because of this, the Emperor strengthened the southeastern part of his state, where it bordered with Croatia. On the same year, Stephen I sent his cousin Dobronja to Constantinople, so he could meet the Byzantine Emperor. However, since Stephen was in war with the Republic of Venice, a Byzantine ally, Dobronja was imprisoned and there he eventually died.
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