Lodovico of Bulgaria

Lodovico
Emperor of Bulgaria (titular)
PredecessorIvan Stephen?
Bornbefore 1324
Diedafter 1363
SpouseMaria of Taranto
HouseŠišman
FatherMichael Asen III "Šišman"
MotherAna of Serbia

Lodovico (as attested in Italian sources; Latin Ludovicus; Bulgarian: Людовик, Ljudovik) was a son of Emperor (tsar) Michael Asen III "Šišman" of Bulgaria (1323–1330) and his first wife, Ana, daughter of King Stefan Uroš II Milutin of Serbia[1] by Elizabeth of Hungary.[2] He may have borne a different name before becoming a catechumen and converting to Catholic Christianity.[3] Although he has been variously identified with any of his three known brothers, Ivan Stephen, Šišman, and Michael, but was probably a distinct person.[4] Recent research has established he is definitely distinct from Ivan Stephen.[5]

  1. ^ Božilov 1985: 148-149.
  2. ^ Mladjov 2011: 613-614.
  3. ^ Mladjov 2011: 615.
  4. ^ Božilov 1985: 148; Mladjov 2011: 609.
  5. ^ Mladjov 2011: 609, inter alia. Nikolov-Zikov 2021: 151-170 still ignores the implications of the evidence to the contrary and identifies Lodovico as the new Catholic name of Ivan Stephen.