Horváth Richárd: Itineraria regis Matthiae Corvini et reginae Beatricis de Aragonia, 1458-[1476]-1490 - Subsidia ad historiam medii aevi Hungariae inquirendam 2. (Budapest, 2011)

9. Summary

9. SUMMARY

9. SUMMARY

The present volume contains the itineraries of Mátyás Hunyadi, king of Hungary (1458-1490) and of his second wife, Beatrice of Aragon (Mathias' consort: 1476-1490). Since no sources report on the movements of Kunigunda (Podiebrad), first wife of Matthias (11464), her itinerary can of course not be prepared.

The making of itineraries has a long tradition in Hungary but only partial results. The first itineraries appeared in the 1860s, parallel to similar works published in England and Germany. Yet the process was interrupted in the 1930s and 1940s, and failed to be reassumed until as late as the 1990s. New momentum sprang from two different sources: on the one hand, from the political changes and their consequences upon the scientific life of the country, and, on the other hand, from the excellent research conditions offered by the digital database of the surviving sources of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary (1000 - 1526), which had recently been completed. This database facilitates both thematic and chronological research in the different types of sources. And, from the beginning of 2010, a fair amount of the charters can also be inspected on the internet.

No itinerary covering the reign of Mátyás Hunyadi has so far been published with the aim of serving as an auxiliary tool for the study of political history. Of course, Mátyás did figure in the royal itineraries which appeared from the 1860s on, but these remained very far from being complete. Besides the fact that the long reign of the king occupies an outstanding place in the history of late medieval Hungary, his itinerary can be regarded as of prime importance, and not only for the Hungarian public, from another aspect as well. Mátyás was the last king to travel a lot, especially in comparison with some of his contemporaries and with his successor. One of the foundations of his rule was precisely his strong and uncompromising personality, which prompted him to conduct almost all military and diplomatic activity in person. From this point of view, his itinerary indeed reflects important events of political history. Yet knowledge of his whereabouts whenever he was not on campaign or other journey is equally important. One of the chief aspects of his visible rule was the strong and sometimes exclusive concentration of power in the king's person. This may seem surprising in the second half of the 15th century, when the modem, bureaucratic states were being established in Europe. Whereas the personal presence of the king retained its importance even in these states, in Hungary it assumed additional weight in consequence of the way Matthias perceived and exercised his power. Practically all important diplomatic, military and economic decisions were taken in the presence and with the participation of the ruler. Consequently, his itinerary is one of the clues to the knowledge of the wider political and social patterns of the period.

The summary of a handbook cannot aim at presenting in detail all the methods of research of which the present volume is the result. Yet, in order to enhance the usability of the book for foreign readers who are not familiar with the source material and the structures of the chancellery and the administration of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom, at least a brief outline is justified.

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