Stephen I of Croatia

Stjepan I. Krešimirović († 1058 ) was from 1030 until his death the king of the medieval Croatian kingdom.

He came from the Trpimirović Dynasty and followed his father Krešimir III. to the throne.

Life and work

Like his predecessor, he built his sphere of on the eastern Adriatic. He focused on the reconstruction of the Croatian military power and sent the bulk of his fleet to support the Byzantines during the war against the Arabs. Stjepan hoped to hold by this Croatian- Byzantine alliance, the Republic of Venice from attacking the Croatian coast.

Under Stjepan I. flourished trade and crafts. Significant aristocrats moved to Zadar, Biograd, Knin, Split, Dubrovnik and other coastal cities. At the same time grew, the cities in Slavonia. In particular, along the Sava attracted many people in search of arable land further north. The two largest cities of that time were Zagreb and Sisak.

He was succeeded in 1058 by his son Petar Krešimir IV

Stjepan I. had two sons:

• Petar Krešimir IV, who became his successor
• Of anonymous son, the father of the future king Stjepan II