The Statue of Matthias Corvinus

The Hungarian authorities decided, in 1894, to raise a bronze statue in the memory of Matthias Corvinus, to commemorate 450 years from his birth and 400 years f...
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The Hungarian authorities decided, in 1894, to raise a bronze statue in the memory of Matthias Corvinus, to commemorate 450 years from his birth and 400 years from his death.
Born in Cluj, Matthias Corvinus was the second son of the Romanian leader John of Hunedoara, former king of Hungary, and Elisabeta Szilagy. The name "Corvin" derives from his heraldinc bearings, displaying a raven (corvus, in latin). Matei ruled Hungary between 1458, when he was made a king at the age of 15, until 1490. Yet he was crowned later, in 1464. In 1485, he and his army reached Vienna, and established there the capital city of his kingdom. Known as a reputed and feared fighter against the Ottomans, Matthias Corvinus also contributed to a great extent to the prosperity of his town helping at the (re)construction of many churches (including St. Michael's Cathedral) and granting the citizens many economic privileges.
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