Cecília Rozgonyi (1398– between 1436 and 1439) was a late mediaeval Hungarian noblewoman known for fighting against Ottoman invaders. Her

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

also appears as Cecilia, Cicelle, or Cziczelle and her surname as Rozgoni; she is sometimes mentioned as Rozgonyiné, 'wife of Rozgonyi', or with her

maiden name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" is also use ...

as Cecília Szentgyörgyi or Szent-Györgyi. She was the daughter of

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

Péter III Szentgyörgyi (died 1446), from an ancient and important Hungarian noble family. Many of her male ancestors had been renowned military leaders, including her father. She had five brothers who all served the royal family in different civil and military positions. Cecília married another member of the kingdom's elite, Stephen Rozgonyi, ''

ispán The ispánRady 2000, p. 19.''Stephen Werbőczy: The Customary Law of the Renowned Kingdom of Hungary in Three Parts (1517)'', p. 450. or countEngel 2001, p. 40.Curta 2006, p. 355. ( hu, ispán, la, comes or comes parochialis, and sk, župan)Kirs ...

'' of

Pozsony Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approximately 140% of ...

and Temes Counties, and had three sons with him: John, Stephen, and Emeric. Golubac grad 2019 08

In 1428, the Hungarian army besieged the Golubac Fortress which was held by the invading

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, one of the leaders of the offensive being Ispán Rozgonyi. Cecília commanded a ship, or even a division of ships on the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

. She engaged many enemy ships in fighting and sank or set on fire multiple among them, and eventually shelled the fortress itself from the ship. When Sultan Murad II came to the aid of his attacked men, Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary saw that he had no chance of taking the castle. He asked for a

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...

, which the sultan granted. The Hungarian army started crossing the Danube, but while the king was still on the enemy side, the Ottomans attacked the retreating army and slaughtered most soldiers. According to one accoumt, the king was only rescued because of the intervention of Cecília Rozgonyi on her ship. Her bravery is attested to by a 1434 charter of King Sigismund in which he gave her some lands as a reward.

References

1398 births 1434 deaths 15th-century Hungarian people 15th-century Hungarian women Women in medieval European warfare Women in 15th-century warfare {{Hungary-mil-bio-stub