George Szatmári
George Szatmári | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Esztergom Primate of Hungary | |
 Seal of George Szatmári | |
| See | Esztergom |
| Appointed | May 1522 |
| Term ended | 7 April 1524 |
| Predecessor | Thomas Bakócz |
| Successor | Ladislaus Szalkai |
| Other post(s) | Bishop of Veszprém Bishop of Várad Bishop of Pécs |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1506 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1457 |
| Died | 7 April 1524 Buda, Kingdom of Hungary |
| Buried | Esztergom |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Parents | Stephen Szatmári Anna N |
| Coat of arms |  |
George Szatmári de Alsóborsa[1] (Hungarian: alsóborsai Szatmári György; c. 1457 – 7 April 1524) was the Primate of Hungary. He was Bishop of Veszprém from 1499 to 1501, of Várad (present-day Oradea in Romania) from 1501 to 1505, of Pécs from 1505 to 1522, and Archbishop of Esztergom from 1522 until his death.
Early life
[edit]George Szatmári was born around 1457 into a wealthy burgher family of German origin in Kassa (present-day Košice in Slovakia).[2][3] He was the third and youngest son of the merchant Stephen Szatmári and his wife, Anna, also from a family of burghers in Kassa.[4] After his father died in 1464, George was placed under the guardianship of his uncle, Francis Szatmári, the richest citizen of Kassa and mayor of the town in 1477.[4][5] The Szatmáris had dealings with the Thurzóswho were an influential family of merchants, which facilitated George's career.[4] His family was granted nobility by Matthias Corvinus.[6]
George's wealth financed his studies.[7] He studied at the University of Kraków from 1477 to 1481,[7] then returned to Hungary as a Bachelor of Arts.[7] He knew Filippo Beroaldo, a professor at the University of Bologna, indicating that he also studied at Bologna.[7] Following his uncle's example, he financed renovations at the St. Michael chapel in Kassa.[5]
He started his career at the Royal Chancellery in the early 1490s[7] and became a close assistant of the head of the chancellery, Cardinal Thomas Bakócz.[8] George was made archivist in 1493, and he became one of the two royal secretaries in 1494.[7][8] He also received prebends (or ecclesiastic benefices).[9] He was canon at the Székesfehérvár Chapter and provost of the St. Nicholas collegiate chapter in the same town in 1495.[9] He was made provost of the Transylvanian Chapter in 1497.[9]
Career
[edit]
At the demand of the Diet of Hungary, Vladislaus II of Hungary took the royal seals from Thomas Bakócz in 1497.[8] Bakócz retained the title of arch-chancellor, but Szatmári took charge of the Royal Chancellery.[8] He became the provost of the Óbuda Chapter in 1498 or 1499.[9] Although he had not yet been ordained as a priest, Vladislaus appointed him as bishop of Veszprém and provost of the Budafelhévíz Chapter in 1499.[9] The Holy See confirmed his appointment in April 1500, but also allowed him to postpone his consecration.[9] In 1500, the Diet passed a decree that declared that no one except for Szatmári was entitled to hold more than one ecclesiastical office in the Kingdom of Hungary.[9]
The king assigned him to the bishopric of Várad in 1501.[10] The Holy See confirmed the transfer in February 1502.[10] Vladislaus made Szatmári secret chancellor in 1503.[8] Szatmári and Bakócz were the most influential figures of the government,[8] and the two cooperated closely to diminish the influence of the Diet on state administration.[8] The wealthy John Zápolya was his chief opponent.[10] The 1505 Diet passed a resolution that prohibited the election of a foreign king after Vladislaus's dead, although Szatmári and his allies had openly opposed the decision.[9][11] Instead of accepting the resolution, Szatmári promoted a rapprochement between Vladislaus and Emperor Maximilian I.[7]
After Sigismund Ernuszt, the Bishop of Pécs, was murdered by his retainers in summer 1505, Vladislaus assigned Szatmári to the bishopric of Pécs.[10] Pope Julius II confirmed the king's decision on 19 December 1505.[10] After being ordained priest, Szatmári held his first mass at the St. Elisabeth Cathedral in Kassa in autumn 1506.[10] He appointed Martin Atádi, titular Bishop of Augustopolis, as his coadjutor bishop.[10]
Szatmári began several building projects in Pécs.[5] A new church tabernacle made of red marble was placed in the cathedral, the episcopal palace was enlarged with a Renaissance level and an open staircase, and a new villa was built on the Tettye hill.[5] The chapter house, which was rebuilt during his tenure in Renaissance style, was named Domus Sakmariana after him.[5] He held conferences with the participation of prominent Humanist scholars, including Girolamo Balbi (who was a friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam), and Nicholas Oláh.[12] Szatmári sponsored the publication of the poems of Janus Pannonius, who had been the bishop of Pécs from 1459 to 1472.[6][13] He also financed the publishing of works by ancient classical authors, including Cicero.[6]
John Zápolya played a key role in crushing the rebellion of the Hungarian peasants in 1514.[14] Taking advantage of his popularity among the noblemen, John Zápolya ensured that Szatmári was dismissed and Gregory Frankopan, Archbishop of Kalocsa, was made chancellor in his stead.[14] To reduce Zápolya's influence, Szatmári began to bring about a reconciliation between Vladislaus II, Vladislaus's brother, Sigismund of Poland, and Emperor Maximilian.[15] The three monarchs met at Vienna and signed a treaty on 19 July 1515.[15] Vladislaus's son, Louis, married Maximilian's granddaughter, Mary, and Vladislaus's daughter, Anne, was betrothed to either Maximilian or his grandson, Ferdinand.[15] Taking advantage of his participation at the conference, Szatmári visited the University of Vienna.[3] Benedict Chelidonius dedicated his Voluptatis cum Virtute disceptatio ("Debate of Desire and Virtue") to Szatmári.[16]
Vladislaus died on 13 March 1516 and was succeeded by his ten-year-old Louis.[15] His tutors, George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, and John Bornemissza, Castellan of Buda, were supporters of a pro-Habsburg policy.[15] Gregory Frankopan was dismissed and Szatmári was reinstated as secret chancellor.[17] Ladislaus Szalkai, the Bishop of Vác, was also appointed chancellor in 1517, but Szatmári remained the most influential among the three chancellors.[9][17] Geronimo Balbi, who stayed in Buda, commented that Szatmári was "the master of all issues" in the kingdom.[17] He could even persuade the Diet to elect his ally Stephen Báthori, the Palatine of Hungary, against John Zápolya in 1519.[9][17]
Szatmári succeeded Thomas Bakócz as arch-chancellor in June 1521.[12] He was also made Archbishop of Esztergom in spring 1522.[12] With the support of Maximilian of Habsburg, he tried to achieve his appointment as cardinal and papal legate.[12] He died in Buda on 7 April 1524.[12] He was buried in Esztergom.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ Markó 2006, p. 328.
- ^ Fedeles 2009, pp. 136–137.
- ^ a b Juhász-Ormsby 2012, p. 9.
- ^ a b c Fedeles 2009, p. 136.
- ^ a b c d e Farbaky 2009, p. 274.
- ^ a b c Borián 2003, p. 232.
- ^ a b c d e f g Fedeles 2009, p. 137.
- ^ a b c d e f g Engel 2001, p. 353.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fedeles 2009, p. 138.
- ^ a b c d e f g Fedeles 2009, p. 139.
- ^ Engel 2001, p. 361.
- ^ a b c d e Fedeles 2009, p. 140.
- ^ Fedeles 2009, pp. 128, 140.
- ^ a b Engel 2001, p. 364.
- ^ a b c d e Engel 2001, p. 365.
- ^ Juhász-Ormsby 2012, pp. 15–16.
- ^ a b c d Engel 2001, p. 366.
- ^ Borián 2003, p. 233.
Sources
[edit]- Borián, Elréd (2003). "Szatmári II. György [George II Szatmári]". In Beke, Margit (ed.). Esztergomi érsekek 1001–2003 [Archbishops of Esztergom 1001–2003] (in Hungarian). Szent István Társulat. pp. 232–234. ISBN 963-361-472-4.
- Engel, Pál (2001). The Realm of St Stephen: A History of Medieval Hungary, 895–1526. I.B. Tauris Publishers. ISBN 1-86064-061-3.
- Farbaky, Péter (2009). "The Role of High Priests in the Dissemination of Early Renaissance Forms in Hungary". In Lemerle, Frédérique; Pauwels, Yves; Toscano, Gennaro (eds.). Les Cardinaux de la Renaissance et la modernité artistique [The Cardinals of the Renaissance and the Modern Arts]. Institut de Recherches Historiques du Septentrion. pp. 263–275. ISBN 978-2-905637-55-0.
- Fedeles, Tamás (2009). "A 14. század derekától Mohácsig [From the mid-14th century to the Battle of Mohács]". In Fedeles, Tamás; Sarbak, Gábor; Sümegi, József (eds.). A Pécsi Egyházmegye története I: A középkor évszázadai (1009–1543) [A History of the Diocese of Pécs, Volume I: Medieval Centuries, 1009–1543] (in Hungarian). Fény Kft. pp. 109–154. ISBN 978-963-88572-0-0.
- Juhász-Ormsby, Ágnes (2012). "Humanist Networks and Drama in Pre-Reformation Central Europe: Bartholomeus Frankfordinus Pannonius and the "Sodalitas Litteraria Danubiana"". Renaissance and Reformation. 35 (2): 5–34. doi:10.33137/rr.v35i2.19369.
- Markó, László (2006). A magyar állam főméltóságai Szent Istvántól napjainkig: Életrajzi Lexikon [Great Officers of State in Hungary from King Saint Stephen to Our Days: A Biographical Encyclopedia] (in Hungarian). Helikon Kiadó. ISBN 963-547-085-1.
Further reading
[edit]- Farbaky, Péter (2002). Szatmári György, a mecénás [George Szatmári, the Patron of Arts] (in Hungarian). Művészettörténeti füzetek 27., Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 963-0579-48-0.
