The Life of the Holy and Right-Believing Stefan the Tall, Despot of Serbia

which are raised on chains as needed, and in the west was a small gate, likewise with its own movable bridge, while in the north was a small gate, and it leads into the lower city toward the rivers. And the gate leading into the Despot's tower likewise has a bridge on chains over the moat. The city had access only from the south, while on the east and west and north there were strong fortifications, and again the rivers as protection. And in the city was the Great Church (the Metropolis), which is on the east side of the city, where one descends, like the brook Kidron toward Gethsemane. This Metropolis, then, is of the Dormition of the Most Pure Lady, and it had a cenobitic community adorned with every planting, with much inheritance, villages and other monasteries; and it was the throne of the Metropolitan of Belgrade, exarch of all the Serbian lands. This church was the richest among the others in the days of this pious Despot. But Stefan raised a church from the foundations (i.e. anew), in Perivolija, and dedicated it to the Three Great Hierarchs (the Holy Three Hierarchs), to be for the burial of the hierarchs of that church. And he built also a hostel for the sick, and in it a church in the name of the Holy Wonderworker Nicholas, by the sweetest water, and planted orchards of every choice fruit, and endowed it with villages and much inheritance; into it he received the sick and strangers, fed them there and gave them relief. "And from all sides of his land the Despot gathered the richest people and settled them in this city, and deemed them worthy of honor, as once the one equal to the apostles (Constantine) did in his city. And he also granted this city freedom from all levies, and gave privileges to all with every security, that they might not waver. In the charter which speaks of this were listed all the benefactions of God that had been upon him, then concerning freedom from enslavement, and he gave these a golden seal, which bears the image of the city, so that whoever wishes to make any purchase in any region should receive a document with the seal showing that he is an inhabitant of that city, and so should pay no customs anywhere nor pay tolls for passage. The Despot further obtained by entreaty confirmation from the territorial lords around him, and even from the Hungarian king himself, that merchants should receive every exemption in those regions. Therefore from all the surrounding lands inhabitants began to come unceasingly from day to day, and in a short time this city was very densely settled. But the larger the city grew, the less was this long-handed one (i.e. the Despot) satisfied with its population. For he assigned estates to the inhabitants even from his own lands, and sending everywhere he gathered them, and settled the city as once Nehemiah did Jerusalem (Neh. ch. 7). So that this city, more than the other cities, nourished and shone with all needful things, truly as an imperial house. And so, then, all the days of his life this city was enlightened and grew, so that one could cry out and say of it as of Jerusalem: 'Lift up your eyes round about and behold your children gathered together' (Isa. 49:18)." To this wondrous description by Constantine of the Despot's newly built Belgrade something more must be added: to mention some other works of the holy Despot accomplished in this city. The holy Despot, as Constantine too says, dedicated the city of Belgrade to the Most Holy Lady Theotokos, and this he did first of all out of his own love and piety toward the Most Pure Mother of God, and then also after the example of the Emperor Constantine, equal to the apostles, and of his holy Nemanjić forefathers, Saint Sava and Simeon, who dedicated to Her both Hilandar and Studenica; and finally, the Despot dedicated his city to the Mother of God because in the old Metropolitan church of Belgrade, which had been Serbian since the time of King Dragutin, there was kept an ancient wonderworking icon of the Most Holy Theotokos made by the very