The Hunyadis

The name and fame of our great renaissance ruler Matthias Corvinus (Mátyás Hunyadi) is matched with our first kings’. And there is no other subsequent Hungarian king like him. The family’s fame and power was established by his father the well-known Ottoman beater John Hunyadi. With his talent and patriotism he got into the Hungarian regents chair almost out of nowhere. His long winter campaign and victory at Nándorfehérvár (Belgrade) discouraged the Ottomans for nearly a half century to attack our homeland. His son Matthias was “only” left with maintaining the status quo. The fact that this could be achieved was thanks to his strict economic policy which provided him with substantial income. He created the world famous “Black Army” based on that. It consisted of more than 60 000 troops. His court in Visegrád shined as the gem of the renaissance period. His world famous library housing the Corvinas contained 2000-2500 tomes, and the worth of his codes exceeded 1000 gold apiece, yes that is nearly 3 million in gold. Matthias looked towards the west; he wanted to raise his country into a great-power status. Much like it was under the period of the Árpáds and Anjous. Conquering most of Bohemia he also became King of Bohemia, and in 1485 he captured Vienna, where he died in 1490. The death of Matthias ended the centralized national monarchy. From his two lawful wives he had no children. He had an illegitimate son John Corvinus from a civil girl Borbála Edlepeck from Stein, he was recognized in 1479, and declared as the successor. But during the fight for power he got the worst of it and in 1503 he died. Matthias was strict but consistent he banned the lords from overreaching and in spite of the heavy taxation made the everyday life predictable thereby making it livable. The future generations awarded him with the noblest epithet “Matthias the righteous king”.