H. Kolba Judit szerk.: Historical Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum Guide 2 - From the Foundation of the State until the Expulsion of the Ottomans - The history of Hungary in the 11th to 17th centuries (Budapest, 2005)

ROOM 3 - The Age of Sigismund of Luxembourg and János Hunyadi (first half of the 15th century) (Etele Kiss - Ágnes Ritoók)

ROOM 3 The Age of Sigismund of Luxembourg and János Hunyadi (First half of the 15th century) Sigismund of Luxembourg (1387-1437), second son of Charles IV, Holy Roman emperor, came to the throne as co-regnant, having married Mary, daughter of Louis the Great. At the beginning of his reign, which lasted half a century, Hungary was compelled to strengthen its defences, following the failure of the offensive against the expanding Ottoman empire Nikápoly (Nikopol, 1396). As Holy Roman emperor, Sigismund succeeded in restoring the unity of papal power at the Synod of Constance. The secure background of his frequent and lengthy travels abroad was the stability of his Hungarian throne and the wealth of the country. The formation of connections between the Europe of the period and the retinue of Sigismund, most of them Hungarians, resulted in cultural influences favorable for both parties. The figure of Sigismund faded later however, rather unjustly, primarily because of his failures as a military leader. Sigismunde successors, his son-in-law Albert of Habsburg (1437-39) and Wladislas I (144CM14) died young, and afterwards there followed years full of civil discord (the interregnum which lasted from 1445 until 1452). It was at this time that János Hunyadi emerged from among the court warriors, making an astonishing career thanks to his exceptional military genius, with the result that he ended up as regent of the country. His offensives against the Turks were, however, failures, although he did organize the defence of the country's southern borders of the country excellently, while not neglecting to augment his own power. Hunyadi 's victory at Nándorfehérvár (Beograd) on July 22, 1456 was the first defeat inflicted on the Turkish army for some fifty years. THE ROYAL COURT Art at the court of King Sigismund was characterized by the colourful culture of chivalry in decline, called International Gothic because it had an almost homogeneous character at the different courts of Europe. In Hungary this culture unfolded in the first half of the 15th century, based on antecedents in the Anjou period. In addition to the reviving international links (for example the knightly parade linked with the Battle of Nikápoly [Nikopol] in 1396 and the frequent visits by envoys), Sigismunds education and his frequent travels abroad had an important role. The king often returned from the proudest European courts with plans and craftsmen. One of the most important artistic achievements of the period was the appearance of portraiture, the capturing of a ruler's true features. The painting by Dürer (Fig. 17) in the town-hall at Nuremberg commemorates Sigismund because he designated the town the permanent home of the imperial insignia. Until the early 15th century, Visegrád was the royal residence. The palace there was rebuilt at the beginning of Sigismunde reign in a regular, rectangular way, embracing the most up-to-date trends in European palace-building during the period (a closed inner court, with an ornamental fountain connected to arcades, a system of waterpipes and a bath). During the construction work, new ornamental stoves were made. The stoves, which were built using glazed tiles, added to the splendour of the interior; they are, together with the stone carvings, the only characteristic relics of Sigismunde Hungarian court to have survived. The Hungarian stoves, looking like small buildings, were characterized (as in other regions of Central Europe) by the repeated use of traceried patterns and coats of arms. During the long reign of Sigismund, the stoves built in the Visegrád palace had to be restored. This must have taken place after 1408, the year when the Order of the Dragon was founded, as the insignia of the order also appear on the tiles.