Matthias Corvinus

Matthias Corvinus, also known as Matthias I, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 until his death in 1490. Born on 23 February 1443, he became king at just 14 years old after the sudden death of King Ladislaus the Posthumous. His uncle helped him take the throne, and soon Matthias began ruling on his own.

As king, Matthias faced many challenges. He fought wars against mercenaries in Upper Hungary, which today includes parts of Slovakia and Northern Hungary, and against Frederick III, the Holy Roman Emperor, who also claimed Hungary. He also dealt with threats from the Ottoman Empire, which had taken over Serbia and Bosnia. Over time, Matthias shifted his focus and signed peace with the Emperor.

Matthias was known for his fair rule, earning the name "the Just". He created one of the first professional armies in Europe, called the Black Army of Hungary, and improved the way justice was handled. He supported artists and scholars, building a large library known as the Bibliotheca Corviniana. Under his leadership, Hungary became one of the first countries to experience the Renaissance, a time of great art and learning that started in Italy. Today, Matthias is remembered as a hero in Hungarian and Slovak stories.

Early life

Childhood (1443–1457)

Matthias was born in Kolozsvár, now Cluj-Napoca in Romania, on 23 February 1443. He was the second son of John Hunyadi and his wife, Elizabeth Szilágyi. Matthias learned many languages and read books about history and war. He spoke Hungarian, Latin, Italian, Polish, Czech, and German.

Election as king (1457–1458)

King Ladislaus died without children in 1457. The leaders of Hungary chose Matthias to be the new king to prevent a big fight among them. On 24 January 1458, the people of Hungary made the 14-year-old Matthias their king.

Reign

Early rule and consolidation (1458–1464)

Matthias became king of Hungary and Croatia in 1458. This was the first time a noble had taken the throne. He worked to secure his rule and made peace with nearby leaders. Matthias faced challenges from other nobles who wanted the throne, but he managed to defeat them in battles.

Matthias held many meetings with his advisors to make laws and govern the country. He brought in new people to help him, including some from lower social classes. He also dealt with threats from nearby empires, like the Ottomans, and made alliances to protect his lands.

First reforms and internal conflicts (1464–1467)

Matthias made changes to how justice was handled in his kingdom, creating a new top court. He also reorganised the way taxes were collected to bring in more money for the government.

There were some uprisings against Matthias, especially in a region called Transylvania, but he put them down. He also got involved in conflicts with leaders of nearby countries, like Bohemia.

War for the Lands of the Bohemian Crown (1468–1479)

Matthias claimed he should be the king of Bohemia too. He fought battles against the current king and his supporters. Though he won some areas, he faced strong opposition and had to make peace agreements.

War for Austria (1479–1487)

Matthias also wanted control over Austria. He fought a long war against the ruler of Austria and eventually captured many towns, including Vienna. He took over parts of Austria and set up his own government there.

Last years (1487–1490)

In his final years, Matthias faced health problems and conflicts over who would rule after him. He died in Vienna in 1490 after a short illness.

Patronage

Matthias was the first king outside of Italy to bring the ideas and styles of the Renaissance to his country. His marriage to Beatrice of Naples helped bring Italian art and learning to Hungary. Under his rule, Hungary became the first place outside Italy to adopt the Renaissance style in buildings and art.

Matthias also supported traditional Hungarian culture, enjoying epic poems and songs at his court. He was a strong supporter of the Catholic Church and started important discussions about religious ideas. He built beautiful palaces and invited famous artists from Italy to decorate them. Matthias also started a big collection of books, one of the largest in Europe at the time, and loved to discuss ideas with learned scholars.

Family

Matthias married several times during his life. When he was just 12 years old, he married a young girl named Elizabeth of Celje, but she passed away before they could live together as husband and wife. His second wife, Catherine of Poděbrady, also sadly passed away during childbirth, and their baby did not survive.

Later, Matthias looked for another wife and spoke with Emperor Frederick about possible matches. One suggestion was to marry one of the Emperor's daughters, but this did not work out. He also asked to marry a princess from Poland, but was turned down. Eventually, he married Beatrice of Naples, who lived long after him and returned to her home in Naples.

Matthias had one known child, John Corvinus, born to a woman named Barbara Edelpöck who was not his wife at the time. John Corvinus lived until 1504.

Legacy

Matthias Corvinus ruled a large part of Europe at the end of his life, but after he died, his lands were quickly lost. Many people felt that his heavy taxes and long wars were hard on ordinary people, especially farmers.

Stories about Matthias, called "the Just," spread during his time because people believed he cared about fairness. After his death, people missed this fairness, saying, "Dead is Matthias, lost is justice." Many folk tales about him are still told in countries like Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia. One tale is about King Matjaž, who is one of the sleeping kings in Slovenian stories.

Origin of the nickname Corvinus

King Matthias was called Corvinus, a name that means "raven" in Latin, from the word raven. He used this name because a raven appeared on his family's coat of arms. A writer named Antonio Bonfini helped link the Hunyadi family to an old Roman family named Corvinus. This let Matthias say he came from famous Roman nobles like Valerius Volusus, even though people sometimes talked about where he started from.

In popular culture

Matthias Corvinus appears as a leader of the Hungarian civilization in the Gathering Storm expansion of the video game Civilization VI. In the Turkish historical fiction TV series Mehmed: Fetihler Sultanı, King Matthias is played by actor Recep Usta.