Foreign travelers about the fortress
Foreign travelers about Ioan of Hunedoara
Foreign travelers about Matia Corvin
The Italian FELIX PETANCIC
(about 1445-after 1517), worked in the famous “Bibliotheca Corvina” as a miniaturist and portraitist:
“In it (i.e. Transylvania) there is the fortress of Hunedoara. It is a good stronghold due to its position.
Our divine king Matia’s father, Ioan, was born there.
NICOLAUS OLAHUS
(1493-1568), secretary to king Ludovic the 2nd and to queen Maria of Habsburg, regent of the Hungarian kingdom
in 1562, writer of historical, geographical and religious works: “the almighty fortress of Hunedoara laid at
the foot of the Meridional Mountains”.
SEBASTIAN MÜNSTER,
German humanist: “ In this area (i.e. Transylvania) is the borough (i.e. the castle) of Hunedoara, a very powerful
stronghold due to its position. Iit king Matia’s father was born”.
STEPHAN „TAURINUS” (STIERÖCHSEL)
(about 1485-around 1519), in 1517 he arrives in Transylvania as prelate of the Church in Alba Iulia and as general
dean to the Bishop of Transylvania: “The river Sargetia now washes the glorious fortress of the Huniads. It gave
us the late, undefeated king Matia Corvin. Now the fortress is kept by Prince George of Brandenburg, protector of
king Ludovic (i.e. king Ludovic the 2nd of Hungary)”.
ANTON VERANCSICS (VERANTIO)
(1504-1543), friend of Erasmus of Rotterdam. In his Description of Transylvania he enumerates some fortresses:
“Hunedoara, Deva, Făgăraş […]”. He also mentions the Hungarian counties of Transylvania: “Alba, Târnava, Cluj,
Dobâca, Solnoc, Turda, and Hunedoara”.
GEORG REICHERSTORFFER
(before 1500-after 1550), of German origin, probably from Biertan (in the Sibiu county), notary of Sibiu, secretary
of queen Maria of Hungary, and than of king Ferdinand the 1st of Habsburg (1526): “the Dacian river Sargetia […]
that washes the fortress of the Huniads”.
FRANCESCO DELLA VALLE, PADOVANUL (
(? – after 1545), appointed governor of Hungary in 1530: “Emerik Czibak, Bishop of Oradea and vice-voďvode of
Transylvania, went on with his army to conquer one of his castles, named Hunedoara. It was a stronghold dug in
stone over a mountain. One could get inside that castle only with the aid of a rope pulled by a crane. When he
found out this thing Soliman appointed my master to write to the Bishop and command him to stop the siege. And
this it was done. The Bishop did not want to obey Soliman’s command and even more, he continued the siege and
occupied the castle”.