Archívum - A Heves Megyei Levéltár közleményei 19. (Eger, 2010)
TANULMÁNYOK, KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Csiffáry Gergely: Varkocs Tamás végvári tiszt pályafutása • 9
Gergely Csiffáry: The career of Tamás Varkocs castle officer Tamás Varkocs played an important role in the ló.century history of the castle of Eger. Before István Dobó was appointed captain of the castle, Varkocs had been the castellan of Péter Percnyi for seven years as well as the manager of the proceeds of the bishop's estates between 1541 and 1548. After Buda was captured by the Ottomans in 1541, the castle of Eger gained strategic importance. Therefore the center of the bishop's estates had to be largely modernized and reconstructed. Varkocs played an outstanding role in the reconstruction of the castle of Eger after 1541. He was responsible for the construction of the castle's new medieval entrance, the Varkocs-gate. The building of this gate started in April 1542. He was in charge of dividing the castle (whose size is huge: 23 acres) into two defense units, the inner-and the outer castle, the construction of the Petrényi-wall and the Setét-gate which is found between the two castles. He consequently channeled the revenue of the bishopric to the modernization of the castle. The results of his construction efforts favorably influenced the victorious battle of 1552 fought under the leadership of István Dobó. Under the commandership of Varkocs, the soldiers of the castle of Eger expanded the size of the area under their control way into the territory under Turkish occupation. The successful military operations against the Ottomans are also covered in this study. When on 15 August 1548 Péter Perényi gave over the control of the castle of Eger to the king, György Fráter appointed Péter Varkocs captain of Várad (Nagyvárad) on the verge of Partium. Varkocs played an important role in the battle against the Ottomans between 1548-1552 and played an outstanding role in autumn 1556 when the independent principality of Transylvania was bom. After this turning point in the history of Transylvania, Varkocs became a member of the most prominent landlords' group - the aristocracy in the court of Isabella the widow queen and his son king John Sigismund. At the end of the study the reader can get to know the family of Tamás Varkocs and his descendants. 39
