Every time we cross a boulevard or street named after a historical figure, we rarely pause to reflect on their legacy. In Bucharest, Bulevardul Iancu de Hunedoara is such a place, commemorating one of the greatest military commanders of medieval Europe. John Hunyadi, voivode of Transylvania and a master strategist, decisively shaped the continent’s history with his victory at Belgrade in 1456, a confrontation that changed the fate of all Christendom.

Origins and Early Life

Few know that, in recognition of his deeds, the bells of Catholic churches around the world—from Rome to Paris, Vienna to Rio de Janeiro—ring daily at noon, commemorating the victory achieved by the voivode over the enormous Ottoman army.

John Hunyadi was likely born in 1407 in Transylvania, in the Hațeg or Hunedoara region. His ethnic origin has been debated for centuries, with some claiming he was Hungarian or Cuman. Nevertheless, numerous historical sources and scholars assert that he was of Romanian descent.

The Burgundian ambassador Philippe de Commines, a contemporary of Hunyadi, wrote that he was a Wallachian, like his father, even calling him “Le chevalier blanc de la Valachie” (“The White Knight of Wallachia”). Likewise, the future Pope Pius II, Silvio Piccolomini, noted that “Hunyadi has not increased the glory of the Hungarians as much as that of the Romanians, from whom he descended.”

Regardless of debates, it is certain that John Hunyadi rose from a modest family to attain the highest political and military positions in the Kingdom of Hungary, thanks to courage, intelligence, and military skill.

Political Career and Early Appointments

Hunyadi’s political career began in the service of King Sigismund of Luxembourg of Hungary between 1436–1437, when he fought to secure recognition of Sigismund as king of Bohemia. In 1438, he was appointed by Albert I of Habsburg, the new King of Hungary, as Ban of Severin, alongside his brother, John the Younger.

This was his first significant political role. Later, on March 7, 1441, John Hunyadi became voivode of Transylvania. Upon assuming this position, he began reorganizing the province’s defenses, fully aware of the growing Ottoman threat.

Campaigns Against the Ottomans

Hunyadi’s military career is remarkable, marked by battles and campaigns aimed at halting the Ottoman advance into Europe. Among his most notable engagements were:

·       The battles of 1442 at Sântimbru, Sibiu, and along the Ialomița Valley, achieving decisive victories against Turkish forces.

·       The Long Campaign (September 1443 – February 1444), a large-scale expedition that demonstrated the Ottomans could be challenged on their own territory.

·       The Battle of Varna (1444), where, despite the crusade ending tragically with the death of King Ladislaus III, Hunyadi once again proved his command skills.

·       The Battle of Kosovo Polje (1448), another confrontation to stop the Ottoman advance, though the outcome was unfavorable.

Yet the most brilliant and historically significant victory remained the Battle of Belgrade in 1456.

The Battle of Belgrade – Turning Point in European History

In 1453, Constantinople fell to Sultan Mehmed II, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire. Encouraged by this success, the Sultan directed his formidable army toward Central Europe.

Belgrade, considered the key to Europe, became the next target. Its capture would have opened the road to Vienna and beyond, threatening the entire Western world.

Mehmed II assembled an army of approximately 150,000 soldiers, artillery superior to that used in Constantinople, and a fleet of 60–65 galleys plus around 150 smaller vessels.

Against this enormous force, John Hunyadi mounted a heroic defense. He reinforced the city garrison with 5,000 mercenaries and, with the support of Franciscan monk John of Capistrano, raised a popular army of about 30,000, mostly Vlachs and Orthodox Serbs. He also improvised a fleet of 200 vessels to confront the Ottoman ships on the Danube.

After fierce fighting, in July 1456, Hunyadi achieved an extraordinary victory, repelling the Ottoman army and saving not only Belgrade but the entire Western Europe from conquest.

Recognition and European Gratitude

The victory at Belgrade had immense repercussions. Pope Callixtus III called it “the happiest moment of his life” and, through a papal bull issued on August 6, 1456, decreed that all Catholic church bells in Europe should ring daily at noon, “until the end of the ages.”

This tradition, the noon bell ringing, continues to this day as a tribute to the Romanian voivode who successfully stopped the Ottoman advance into Europe.

Belgrade remained free, and the expansion of the Ottoman Empire was delayed by nearly 70 years, providing Europe with crucial time to strengthen its institutions and defenses.

John Hunyadi’s Legacy

John Hunyadi was not only a military strategist but also a political leader with a broad vision. By organizing Transylvania’s defenses, forging alliances, and demonstrating personal courage, he inspired all of Christendom.

Even his adversaries recognized his qualities, regarding him as a “defender of Christianity,” a title that history has confirmed.

Unfortunately, shortly after the victory at Belgrade, Hunyadi died of the plague on August 11, 1456, in his military camp. He was buried in Alba Iulia, in the Roman Catholic Cathedral, where his sarcophagus can still be seen today.

Memory and Commemoration

Today, his name adorns streets, boulevards, and institutions, symbolizing courage and Romanian dignity. In Bucharest, Bulevardul Iancu de Hunedoara is not just a traffic route but a monument to memory, reminding citizens that a voivode from Transylvania changed the destiny of an entire continent.

Internationally, his memory is linked to the daily ringing of the bells at noon, a ritual that continues to honor his sacrifice. From Barcelona to Lisbon, Vienna to Rio de Janeiro, this daily practice serves as a living testimony that European history might have looked very different without the heroism of John Hunyadi.

John Hunyadi remains one of the essential figures of medieval Europe. Through his victories, sacrifices, and unwavering resolve in defending Christian civilization, he secured a prominent place in history.

His name, present on boulevards and monuments, is not merely a memory but a lesson in courage, unity, and the power of a leader who, rising from a modest family, changed the destiny of the entire world.

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