Issue: 1/2019

CATALAN MERCENARIES OF STEPHEN DUŠAN

Authors:
Aleksandar Uzelac

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The presence of mercenariesfrom the lands of the Crown of Aragon in the service of Nemanjić rulers long ago has been recognized in historical research. However, due to the fragmentary nature of the source material, their role has been presented as a mere curiosity. It was limited to their participation in the Battle of Velbužd in 1330, in which allegedly some 1,000 “Celts” fought on the Serbian side, according to Byzantine historian Nikephoros Gregoras. These “Celts” have been equated with the notices from the archive of Dubrovnik dating from 1330‐1331, in which the mercenaries from the lands of the Crown of Aragon are mentioned in the service of the Serbian king. The role of Catalans in the Serbian lands during the following years has not been recognized or properly evaluated. At the time when he stayed at the Serbian court in 1342–1343, Byzantine pretender John VI Kantakuzenos mentioned certain “Latins” in the service of Stephen Dušan (1331‐1355). They were in fact the Catalans, who switched sides and joined Kantakuzenos after he and the Serbian ruler parted ways. The leader of this mercenary group was Joan de Peralta, who as Kantakuzenos states, entered his service while he was among the Serbs. He performed important tasks and remained loyal to Kantakuzenos until his downfall in 1354. Peralta probably originated from the namesake noble family, whose members had the title of the counts of Caltabellotta and distinguished themselves in the Aragonese possessions in Sicily and Greece. The Catalan mercenaries present in Serbian lands, probably came from the Aragonese lands in Southern Italy (Kingdom of Sicily) and possibly Greece (Duchies of Athens and Neopatras). They served as both infantry and cavalry. The fact, recorded by Kantakuzenos, that they were men in the service of Dušan’s wife Queen Jelena, indicates that they served as the queen’s bodyguards, and consequently, that they were permanently stationed at the Serbian royal court.