Monument to John Hunyadi

Museum Park The “Vladislav Varnenchik” monument complex occupies a prime spot amidst a one-of-a-kind 30-acre park, right in the heart of the battlefield. Located in Varna’s western half, it marks the spot of the field battle of 10.11.1444, in which King Vladislav III Jagiellon of Poland and Hungary gave his life to free Southeast Europe and the Balkans.

The first museum exhibition was held in a building dedicated to the Battle of Varna in 1964, which was the 520th anniversary of the event. Janos Hunyadi, who served as the principal military commander under King Władysław, voivode of Transylvania, and regent of Hungary from 1446 to 1453, was memorialized in the same year.

Most accounts from the time indicate that he belonged to a distinguished family with Wallachian roots. He became known as “Turk-buster” among his peers for his resistance to the Ottoman Empire. He was soon bestowed large tracts of land as a reward for his achievements. Approximately four million cadastral acres belonged to him when he passed away, an unprecedented amount of territory in the Kingdom of Hungary. His vast fortune, combined with his political and military influence, was mostly used for the benefit of the Ottoman wars.

The southern borderlands of the Kingdom of Hungary, which were vulnerable to Ottoman invasions, were the training ground for Hunyadi’s military might. He took charge of the defence of the borders after being appointed Ban of Szörény in 1439, Voivode of Transylvania, Count of the Székelys, and Chief Captain of Nándorfehérvár (now Belgrade) in 1441, and head of a number of counties in the south of the Kingdom of Hungary. He followed the Hussite practice of utilizing wagons in battle. Along with hired men, he rallied the local peasantry to fight back against the invaders. His initial victories in the early 1440s against the Ottoman armies looting the southern marches were aided by these advances.

Two of Hunyadi’s victories in 1442 were decisive, out of four, against the Ottomans. Szeben, in the southern region of the Kingdom of Hungary in Transylvania, was the site of Hunyadi’s victory over Mezid Bey and the raiding Ottoman army in March 1442. Beylerbey Şehabeddin, the Provincial Governor of Rumelia, had a huge Ottoman force beaten by Hunyadi in September 1442. A massive Ottoman army, including raiders and provincial cavalry under the command of their respective sanjak beys (governors) and supported by the dreadful janissaries, had never before been vanquished by an army from Europe. His “Long Campaign” across the Balkan Mountains in 1443–44 and defence of Belgrade (Nándorfehérvár) in 1456, against forces personally led by the sultan, solidified his status as a great general, despite his defeats in 1444 at Varna and 1448 in the second Kosovo battle. To rally the faithful in prayer for the conflict, the pope commanded that all European churches ring their bells at midday. To mark the triumph at Belgrade, Christian churches ring their bells at noon.

Another prominent statesman was John Hunyadi. In the early 1440s, he was an active participant in the civil war that broke out between the supporters of Wladislas I and the minor Ladislaus V, who were both vying for the Hungarian crown. The Diet of Hungary recognized his popularity among the lower-class nobility and named him one of seven “Captains in Chief” to oversee state matters until the age of Ladislaus V, who had already been universally recognized as king, arrived. This position lasted until 1445. The subsequent Diet took it a notch further by appointing Hunyadi as both sole regent and governor. He was bestowed the first hereditary title in the Kingdom of Hungary—the permanent count of Beszterce/Bistrița—when he stepped down from this position in 1452 by the sovereign. He maintained his clout in the Diet right up until his passing, having grown into one of the kingdom’s wealthiest landowners by this point.

An illness broke out in the crusader camp, and this “Athleta Christi” (Christ’s Champion), as Pope Pius II called him, died around three weeks after his victory at Belgrade. But the Turks were unable to invade the Hungarian Kingdom for over 60 years after his conquests. Matthias Corvinus, his son, was elected king by the Diet in 1457, in large part due to his fame. Among the people of the region, Hunyadi holds great historical esteem, particularly among the Hungarians, Romanians, Serbs, and Bulgarians.

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• Varnenchik museum
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