Platonida of Argeș

Lady Milica Despina was the wife of the voivode Neagoe Basarab and princess of Wallachia, regent in 1521 and 1522 for her son Theodosius and, in old age, the nun Platonida. She was of Serbian descent, related to the houses of Branković and Lazarević. The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church canonized her on 1 July 2025 as Venerable Platonida of Argeș, and her feast is kept on 26 September.

Family and origin

Scholars hold several views of her parentage. Some consider her one of the daughters of the Serbian despot Jovan Branković, who died in 1502, others the daughter of his elder brother, the despot Đorđe Branković, who died in 1516, and others trace her to the Cantacuzene family. It is known that Metropolitan Maxim, born Đorđe Branković, was her uncle. She was also called Despina Elena. She was born around 1487.

In 1505 she married Neagoe Basarab. They had six children: Theodosius, Stana, Petru, Ioan, Ruxandra and Anghelina, of whom two sons and a daughter died young.

Foundations and patronage of culture

Lady Despina was a patron of the arts and crafts. She helped build the monastery of Krušedol in the Fruška Gora, in Serbia, and with her husband she founded the monastery of Curtea de Argeș, at whose consecration on 15 August 1517 she was present. In 1520 Neagoe and his wife began the Ostrov skete at Călimănești, finished in 1522, after the voivode's death. Under her protection the hieromonk Macarius printed several service books in Wallachia, among them the Târgoviște Gospel Book.

Regency and exile

After the death of Neagoe Basarab in 1521, their son Theodosius was enthroned prince of Wallachia, with his mother as regent. His reign was short, however: he was driven out by Radu of Afumați and died at Constantinople in 1521 or 1522. Lady Despina took refuge in Transylvania with her daughters Stana and Ruxandra and lived quietly at Sibiu, under the protection of her cousin the king of Hungary, John Zápolya according to some sources.

On 21 January 1526 Ruxandra married Radu of Afumați, and in the same year Stana married Stephen the Younger, prince of Moldavia. After Stephen's death on 14 January 1527 Stana returned to Sibiu to her mother and became a nun with the name Sophronia. In 1529, after her husband's death, Ruxandra also returned, and stayed until 1541, when she married Radu Paisie.

Monastic life and death

After a short stay at Bucharest, where she found nothing of the splendour of former days, Lady Despina became a nun in 1545 with the name Platonida and returned to Sibiu, where she spent the rest of her life. She died in that city, of the plague, on 30 January 1554.

The Romanian Orthodox Church canonized her by decision of the Holy Synod on 1 July 2025 as Venerable Platonida of Argeș and set her feast on 26 September.