Bányai Balázs - Kovács Eleonóra (szer.): A"Zichy-expedíció"- Szent István Király Múzeum közleményei. A. sorozat 48. (Székesfehérvár, 2013)
The "Zichy Expedition"
'AFTER HIS SO MANY VICTORIOUS BATTLES AND NOBLE TRIALS I9I “AFTER HIS SO MANY VICTORIOUS BATTLES AND NOBLE TRIALS” THE RISE OF THE ZICHY FAMILY As in case of most aristocratic families, many stories survived that prove the long legacy of the Zichy family. According to one of those stories, one of the family’s ancestors has proven himself with an exceptional deed. This ancestor lived at the time of Chieftain Árpád or even earlier, in the age of the Huns, the stories vary about that. In any case, the story tells of a stag that led the forefather through the lake Meotis (Sea of Azov) so he himself could then lead the Huns through it. This probably is reflected in the family crest, in which two stag antlers surround the Creek cross above a crown.1 The first known family members step out from the legend’s shadow at the end of the 13th century. Gál lived in 1270, his name was written as deZajk. This is not a coincidence, for the ancient land of the family next to the one near Zieh (today Zics, County Somogy), was Zajk (or Szajk, County Zala).2 The descendants of the family were called Zichi from the 14th century and were known mostly for their military activity. Peter, son of Pascal Zichy fought and fell beside Charles I in 1306. Some data say that his brothers, László and Jakab took part in Louis I’s campaign against Neaples.3 Benedek Zichi led a bandérium in the age of Matthias Corvinus.4 As a reward for military successes the noble family received more and more land until some family members became county officials. Elek, son of Jakab became the vice-lord-lieutenant of Zala probably in the first half of the 14th century5, just as Rafael, familiar of palatine Tamás Nádasdy, in 1544. György was vice-lord-lieutenant of County Moson in 1380-94 and of County Vas in 1592.6 The family divided into two lines through his descendants. From his oldest son Pál I comes the count line of the family. His brothers Benedek and Mihály founded the noble branch.7 It is interesting that through Mihály's descendants, this branch of the family ascended onto aristocracy as well. In 1655 King Ferdinand II (1619-1637) granted the title of baron not only to István, descendant of Pál, but also to Ádám, Mihály’s grandson. Ádám, former vice-lord-lieutenant of county Bács and district-judge of Transdanubia died, however, without an heir, so this branch of the family died out.8 The noble line of the family did not disappear from public life either. It had many famous personalities. Among them are the painter Mihály Zichy (1827-1906) and his brother Antal Zichy, President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1823-1898). For the ascendance of the branch of Pál Zichy (1598-1638) into aristocracy, further military service, unconditional loyalty to the Habsburgs and a few good marriages were needed. Pál was the captain of Veszprém in 1619, when the army of Gábor Bethlen (Prince of Transylvania) assaulted and occupied
