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The siege of Szigetvár or the Battle of Szigeth (pronunciation: �siɡɛtvaːr hu, Szigetvár ostroma, hr, Bitka kod Sigeta; Sigetska bitka, tr, Zigetvar Kuşatması) was a siege of the fortress of
Szigetvár Szigetvár (; hr, Siget; tr, Zigetvar; English language, English: Islandcastle; german: Inselburg) is a town in Baranya (county), Baranya County in southern Hungary. History The town's Medieval fortification, fortress was the setting of the S ...
,
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
, that blocked Sultan Suleiman's line of advance towards
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
in 1566.Turnbull (2003), p. 56. The battle was fought between the defending forces of the Habsburg monarchy under the leadership of
Nikola IV Zrinski Nikola IV Zrinski or Miklós IV Zrínyi ( hu, Zrínyi Miklós, ; 1507/1508 – 7 September 1566), also commonly known as Nikola Šubić Zrinski (), was a Croatian nobleman and general, Ban of Croatia from 1542 until 1556, royal master of the tr ...
( hr, Nikola Šubić Zrinski, hu, Zrínyi Miklós), former
Ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...
, and the invading Ottoman army under the nominal command of Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
( ota, سليمان ''Süleymān''). After the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
in 1526, which resulted in the end of the independent Kingdom of Hungary, Ferdinand I was elected King by the nobles of both Hungary and
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
. This was followed by a series of conflicts with the Habsburgs and their allies, fighting against the Ottoman Empire. In the
Little War in Hungary Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
both sides exhausted themselves after sustaining heavy casualties. The Ottoman campaign in Hungary ceased until the offensive against Szigetvár. In January 1566 Suleiman went to war for the last time. The siege of
Szigetvár Szigetvár (; hr, Siget; tr, Zigetvar; English language, English: Islandcastle; german: Inselburg) is a town in Baranya (county), Baranya County in southern Hungary. History The town's Medieval fortification, fortress was the setting of the S ...
was fought from 5 August to 8 September 1566 and, though it resulted in an Ottoman victory, there were heavy losses on both sides. Both commanders died during the battle Zrinski in the final charge and Suleiman in his tent from natural causes. More than 20,000 Ottomans had fallen during the attacks and almost all of Zrinski's 2,300-man garrison was killed, with most of the final 600 men killed on the last day.Lieber (1845), p. 345. Although the battle was an Ottoman victory, it stopped the Ottoman push to Vienna that year. Vienna was not threatened again until the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The importance of the battle was considered so great that the French clergyman and statesman Cardinal Richelieu was reported to have described it as "the battle that saved (Western) civilization". The battle is still famous in
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...
and
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
and inspired both the Hungarian epic poem '' The Siege of Sziget'' and the Croatian opera '' Nikola Šubić Zrinski''.Cornis-Pope and Neubauer (2004), pp. 518–522.


Background

On 29 August 1526 the forces of the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
led by King Louis II were defeated at the
Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
by Ottoman forces led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.Turnbull (2003), p. 49 Louis died in the battle which resulted in the end of the independent Kingdom of Hungary, as he died without an heir. Both Hungary and Croatia became disputed territories with claims from both the Habsburg and Ottoman empires. Ferdinand I from the
House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
, brother of
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) ...
, married the sister of Louis IITurnbull (2003), pp. 49–51. and was elected King by the nobles of both Hungary and Croatia.Corvisier and Childs (1994), p. 289Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabora Kraljevine Hrvatske 1527, Karlovačka Županija, 1997, Karlovac On 1 January 1527, the Croatian nobles convened the Parliament at Cetin and unanimously elected
Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando I; 10 March 1503 – 25 July 1564) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1556, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1526, and Archduke of Austria from 1521 until his death in 1564.Milan Kruhek: Cetin, grad izbornog sabo ...
as their king, and confirmed the succession to him and his heirs. In return for the throne, Archduke Ferdinand promised to respect the historic rights, freedoms, laws, and customs the Croats had when united with the Hungarian kingdom and to defend Croatia from Ottoman invasion. The throne of Hungary became the subject of a dynastic dispute between Ferdinand and
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Fer ...
from
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. Suleiman had promised to make Zápolya the ruler of all Hungary.Turnbull (2003), pp. 55–56. Ferdinand set out to enforce his claim on Hungary and captured Buda from John Zápolya in 1527, only to relinquish his hold on it in 1529 when an Ottoman counter-attack stripped Ferdinand of all his territorial gains during 1527 and 1528. The siege of Vienna in 1529 was the first attempt by Suleiman the Magnificent to capture the Austrian capital. This siege signalled the pinnacle of Ottoman power and the maximum extent of Ottoman expansion in central Europe.


Little War

The years from 1529 to 1552 were known as the "Little War". Following Suleiman's unsuccessful siege of Vienna in 1529, Ferdinand launched a counter-attack in 1530 to regain the initiative. An assault on Buda was driven off by
John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Fer ...
, although Ferdinand was successful elsewhere—capturing Gran (Esztergom) and other forts along the Danube river, a vital strategic frontier. Suleiman's response came in 1532 when he led a massive army of over 120,000 troops to besiege Vienna again. Ferdinand withdrew his army, leaving only 700 men with no cannons and a few guns to defend Güns (Koszeg) although Ibrahim Pasha, the Grand Vizier of the Ottomans, did not realize how poorly defended Koszeg was. Suleiman came to join him shortly after the siege of Güns had started. For more than 25 days, Croatian captain
Nikola Jurišić Baron Nikola Jurišić ( hu, Jurisich Miklós; – 1545) was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat. Early life Jurišić was born in Senj, Croatia. He is first mentioned in 1522 as an officer of Ferdinand I of Habsburg's troops deployed ...
and his garrison of 800
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
held out against 19 full-scale assaults and an incessant bombardment by the over 120,000 Ottomans. As a result, the city was offered a surrender on favourable terms and, although the offer was rejected, the Ottomans retreatedÁgoston and Alan Masters (2009), p. 583 leading to a peace treaty between Ferdinand and Suleiman. John Zápolya was recognized as the King of Hungary by the Habsburgs, although as an Ottoman
vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
. The treaty did not satisfy either John Zápolya or Ferdinand, and their armies began skirmishes along the borders. In 1537, Ferdinand attacked John's forces at Osijek in violation of the treaty. The siege was a disaster of similar magnitude to that of Mohács, with an Ottoman relief army smashing the Austrians. Rather than attack Vienna again, Suleiman attacked
Otranto Otranto (, , ; scn, label=Salentino, Oṭṛàntu; el, label= Griko, Δερεντό, Derentò; grc, Ὑδροῦς, translit=Hudroûs; la, Hydruntum) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a ferti ...
in southern
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. At the naval Battle of Preveza in 1538, the Ottomans inflicted another defeat on the Habsburg-led coalition.Turnbull (2003), p. 52. John Zápolya died in 1540 and was succeeded by his infant son
John II Sigismund Zápolya John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
. For much of his reign, the country was governed by his mother
Isabella Jagiellon Isabella Jagiellon ( hu, Izabella királyné, links=no; pl, Izabela Jagiellonka, links=no; 18 January 1519 – 15 September 1559) was the Queen consort of Hungary. She was the oldest child of Polish King Sigismund I the Old, the Grand Duke of Lit ...
, with continued support from Suleiman. John II remained the nominal King of Hungary until he abdicated in 1570 and returned the country to Habsburg rule. A further humiliating defeat was inflicted on the Habsburgs in the 1541 siege of Buda, when the Ottomans responded to a request for help from Isabella Jagiellon. In April 1543, Suleiman launched another campaign in Hungary, taking back Bran and other forts and returning much of Hungary to Ottoman control. In August 1543, the Ottomans succeeded in the siege of Esztergom, which was followed by the capture of three Hungarian cities: Székesfehérvár,
Siklós Siklós ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, Šikloš, Шиклош) is the 4th largest town in Baranya county, Hungary. The Malkocs Bey Mosque was built by the order of the Malkoçoğlu family. Notable people *George Mikes, British author most famous ...
, and
Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also other alternative names) is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat of Csongrád-Csanád county. The University of Szeged is one of the m ...
, offering better security for Buda. Another peace agreement between the Habsburgs and the Ottomans lasted until 1552, when Suleiman decided to attack
Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque bui ...
. The
siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
proved futile, and the Habsburg victory reversed a period of territorial losses in Hungary. Their retention of Eger gave the Austrians good reason to believe that Hungary was still contested ground and the Ottoman campaign in Hungary ended, until its revival in 1566.


Campaign of 1566

In January 1566 Sultan Suleiman I had ruled the Ottoman Empire for 46 years and went to war for the last time.Turnbull (2003), p. 55. He was 72 years old and, although having gout to the extent that he was carried on a litter, he nominally commanded his thirteenth military campaign. On 1 May 1566 the Sultan left
Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
at the head of one of the largest armies he had ever commanded. His opposite number, Count Nikola IV Zrinski, was one of the largest landholders in the Kingdom of Croatia, a seasoned veteran of border warfare, and a Ban (Croatian royal representative) from 1542 to 1556. In his early life he distinguished himself in the siege of Vienna and pursued a successful military career. Suleiman's forces reached Belgrade on 27 June after a forty-nine-day march. Here he met with
John II Sigismund Zápolya John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...
who he earlier promised to make the ruler of all Hungary. Learning of Zrinski's success in an attack upon a Turkish encampment at
Siklós Siklós ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, Šikloš, Шиклош) is the 4th largest town in Baranya county, Hungary. The Malkocs Bey Mosque was built by the order of the Malkoçoğlu family. Notable people *George Mikes, British author most famous ...
, Suleiman decided to postpone his attack on
Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque bui ...
(german: Erlau) and instead attack Zrinski's fortress at Szigetvár to eliminate him as a threat.Setton (1991), pp. 845–846.


Siege

The advanced guard of the Turks arrived on 2 August 1566 and the defenders made several successful sorties causing considerable loss to the Turks. The Sultan arrived with the main force on 5 AugustCoppée (1864), pp. 562–565. and his big war tent was erected on the Similehov hill, giving him a view of the battle. The Sultan stayed in his camp where he received verbal battle progress reports from his Grand Vizier
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ( ota, صوقوللى محمد پاشا, Ṣoḳollu Meḥmed Pașa, tr, Sokollu Mehmet Paşa; ; ; 1506 – 11 October 1579) was an Ottoman statesman most notable for being the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. Born in ...
, the real operational commander of the Ottoman forces. Count Zrinski found himself besieged by a hostile army of at least 150,000 soldiers with powerful artillery. Zrinski had assembled a force of around 2,300 Croatian and Hungarian soldiers prior to the siege. These consisted of his personal forces, and those of his friends and allies,Perok (1861), pp. 46–48. primarily Count Gašpar Alapić and lieutenants Miklouš Kobak, Petar Patačić, and Vuk Paprutović. The majority of the defenders were Croatian, with a significant Hungarian contingent represented in both the men-at-arms and the leadership. Szigetvár was divided by water into three sections: the old town, the new town, and the castle—each of which was linked to the next by bridges and to the land by causeways. Although it was not built on particularly high ground, the inner castle, which occupied much of the area of today's castle, was not directly accessible to the attackers. This was because two other baileys had to be taken and secured before a final assault on the inner castle could be launched. When the Sultan appeared before the fortress, he saw the walls hung with red cloth, as though for a festive reception, and a single great cannon thundered once to greet the mighty warrior monarch.Roworth (1840), p. 53. The siege began on 6 August when Suleiman ordered a general assault on the ramparts, which was repulsed. Despite being undermanned, and greatly outnumbered, the defenders were sent no reinforcements from Vienna by the imperial army. After over a month of exhausting and bloody struggle, the few remaining defenders retreated into the old town for their last stand. The Sultan tried to entice Zrinski to surrender, ultimately offering him leadership of Croatia under Ottoman influence.Pardoe (1842), p. 84. Count Zrinski did not reply and continued to fight. Emperor Maximilian and 80,000 soldiers stood in the vicinity of
Győr Győr ( , ; german: Raab, links=no; names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia region, and – halfway between Budapest and Vienna – situated on one of ...
but did not attack the Ottomans to take the pressure off Szigetvár. The fall of the castle appeared inevitable but the Ottoman high command hesitated. On 6 September Suleiman died in his tent. His death was kept secret at great effort, with only the Sultan's innermost circle knowing of his demise. This was because the Ottomans feared that their soldiers would give up the battle if they knew that their leader died, so his death was kept secret for 48 days. A courier was dispatched from the camp with a message for Suleiman's successor, Selim II. The courier may not even have known the content of the message he delivered to distant
Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
within a mere eight days.


Final battle

The final battle began on 7 September, the day after Suleiman's demise. By this time, the fortress walls had been reduced to rubble by
mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...
with explosives and wood fueled fires at the corners of the walls. In the morning an all-out attack began with fusillades from small arms, " Greek fire", and a concentrated cannonade: according to Robert William Fraser, more than 10,000 large cannonballs were shot into the fortress during the siege. Soon the castle, the last stronghold within Szigetvár, was set ablaze and cinders fell into the apartments of the count. The Ottoman army swarmed through the city, drumming and yelling. Zrinski prepared for a last charge addressing his troops: Zrinski did not allow the final assault to break into the castle. As the Turks were pressing forwards along a narrow bridge the defenders suddenly flung open the gate and fired a large mortar loaded with broken iron, killing 600 attackers. Zrinski then ordered a charge and led his remaining 600 troops out of the castle. He received two musket wounds in his chest and was killed shortly afterwards by an arrow to the head. Some of his force retired into the castle. The Turks took the castle and most of the defenders were slain. A few of the captured defenders were spared by Janissaries who had admired their courage, with only seven defenders managing to escape through the Ottoman lines. Zrinski's corpse was beheaded and it is considered his head was sent by Mehmed Pasha to Budin Pasha Sokullu Mustafa, or to new Sultan Selim II, but eventually, the head was buried by son Juraj IV Zrinski, Boldizsár Batthyány, and
Ferenc Tahy Ferenc Tahy de Tahvár et Tarkő, (also known as Franjo Tahi, or Tahy in Croatian and as Ferenc Tahi in Slovenian; 1526–1573) was a Hungarians, Hungarian–Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg), Croatian nobleman from the :ru:Тахи (род), Tahy fa ...
in September 1566 at the Pauline monastery in Sveta Jelena, Šenkovec, Croatia. His body received an honourable burial by a Turk who had been his prisoner, and well treated by him.


Powder magazine explosion

Before leading the final sortie by the castle garrison, Zrinski ordered a fuse be lit to the powder magazine, although whether this ultimately happened is disputed. After cutting down the last of the defenders the besiegers poured into the fortress. The Ottoman Army entered the remains of Szigetvár and fell into the booby trap; thousands perished in the blast when the castle's magazine exploded.Dupuy (1970), p. 501. The Vizier Ibrahim's life was saved by one of Zrinski's household who warned him of the trap when the Vizier and his troops searched for treasure and interrogated the survivors. While inquiring about the treasure the prisoner replied that it had been long expended, but that 3,000  lbs of powder were under their feet to which a slow match had been attached. The Vizier and his mounted officers had just enough time to escape but 3,000 Turks perished in the explosion.Nafziger & Walton (2003), p. 105


Aftermath

Almost all of Zrinski's garrison was wiped out after the final battle. Ottoman casualties were also heavy. Three
pasha Pasha, Pacha or Paşa ( ota, پاشا; tr, paşa; sq, Pashë; ar, باشا), in older works sometimes anglicized as bashaw, was a higher rank in the Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitar ...
s, 7,000 Janissaries, and 28,000 other soldiers are said to have perished. Sources vary on the exact number with estimates ranging from 20,000 to 35,000. After the battle the Grand Vizier forged bulletins in the Sultan's name, proclaiming victory. These announced that the Sultan regretted that his current state of health prevented him from continuing with the successful campaign. His body was returned to Constantinople while the inner circle of officials pretended to keep up communication with him. Turkish sources state that the illusion was maintained for three weeks and that even the Sultan's personal physician was strangled as a precaution. It is likely that the long journey and the siege had a detrimental effect on the Sultan's health. His death meant that any advances were postponed as the Grand Vizier had to return to Constantinople for the succession of the new Sultan, Selim II. Even if Suleiman had lived his army could not have achieved much in the short time that remained between the fall of Szigeth and the onset of winter.Elliott (2000), p. 118. The prolonged resistance at Szigeth delayed the Ottoman push to Vienna. Two ambassadors were sent by Emperor Maximilian: Croatian Antun Vrančić and Styrian Christoph Teuffenbach. They arrived in Istanbul on 26 August 1567 and were well received by Sultan Selim II.Setton (1984), pp. 921–922. An agreement ending the war between the Austrian and Ottoman empires was reached on 17 February 1568, after five months of negotiations with
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ( ota, صوقوللى محمد پاشا, Ṣoḳollu Meḥmed Pașa, tr, Sokollu Mehmet Paşa; ; ; 1506 – 11 October 1579) was an Ottoman statesman most notable for being the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. Born in ...
(also known as ''Mehmed-paša Sokolović,'' being originally from Bosnia). The Treaty of Adrianople was signed on 21 February 1568. Sultan Selim II agreed to an eight-year truce, although the agreement brought 25 years of (relative) peace between the Empires until the Long War. The truce was conditional and Maximilian agreed to pay an annual tribute of 30,000 ducats.


Legacy and depictions in art

The Croatian
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
poet and writer Brne Karnarutić, from
Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...
, wrote ''The Conquest of the City of Sziget'' ('' Vazetje Sigeta grada'') sometime before 1573.Karnarutić (1866), pp. 1–83. His work was posthumously published in 1584 in
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
. This is the first Croatian historical epic dealing with national history and the Battle of Szigetvár. It was inspired by
Marko Marulić Marko Marulić Splićanin (), in Latin Marcus Marulus Spalatensis (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), was a Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term "psychology". He is the national poet of Croatia. According to ...
's ''Judita'', which in turn is inspired by the Biblical Book of Judith. The battle was also immortalized in the Hungarian epic poem ''Szigeti Veszedelem'' ("''Peril of Sziget''"), written in fifteen parts by Zrinski's great-grandson Nicholas VII of Zrin (also a Ban of Croatia) in 1647 and published in 1651. This was one of the first such epics in Hungarian and was also inspired by Marulić's ''Judita''.
Kenneth Clark Kenneth Mackenzie Clark, Baron Clark (13 July 1903 – 21 May 1983) was a British art historian, museum director, and broadcaster. After running two important art galleries in the 1930s and 1940s, he came to wider public notice on television ...
's renowned history ''Civilisation'' lists the ''Szigeti Veszedelem'' as one of the major literary achievements of the 17th century. In spite of the author and other members of Zrinski family being fierce enemies of the Turks, the poem never demonizes them.Anzulovic (2000), p. 57. The Turks are portrayed as human beings and a love story between Deliman the Tatar and the Sultan's daughter Cumilla is interwoven into the main plot.
Petar Zrinski Petar IV Zrinski ( hu, Zrínyi Péter) (6 June 1621 – 30 April 1671) was Ban of Croatia (Viceroy) from 1665 to 1670, general and a writer. A member of the Zrinski noble family, he was noted for his role in the attempted Croatian-Hungarian Mag ...
( hu, Zrínyi Péter), the brother of Nikola VII Zrinski, published ''Opsida Sigecka'' (1647–8) in Croatian—not surprising since the Zrinski family were bilingual. Another Croatian nobleman warrior-poet
Pavao Ritter Vitezović Pavao Ritter Vitezović (; 7 January 1652 – 20 January 1713) was a Habsburg-Croatian polymath, variously described as a historian, linguist, publisher, poet, political theorist, diplomat, printmaker, draughtsman, cartographer, writer and print ...
(1652–1713) wrote about the battle.Anzulovic (2000), pp. 57–58. His poem '' Odiljenje sigetsko'' ("The Sziget Farewell"), first published in 1684, reminisces about the event without rancour or crying for revenge. The last of the four cantos is titled "Tombstones" and consists of epitaphs for the Croatian and Turkish warriors who died during the siege, paying equal respect to both. Karl Theodor Körner, 1791–1813, a German poet, wrote in 1812 a drama, ''Zriny'', about the battle.
Ivan Zajc Ivan Zajc (also hr, Ivan plemeniti Zajc, it, Giovanni de Zaytz; ; August 3, 1832 – December 16, 1914), was a Croatian composer, conductor, director, and teacher who dominated Croatia's musical culture for over forty years. Through his ar ...
's 1876 opera '' Nikola Šubić Zrinski'' is his most famous and popular work in Croatia. This recounts the heroic defiance of the
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...
towards the Turks, as a metaphor for their later nationalist impulses within the Habsburg monarchy. Zrinski is depicted in the plot as a 16th-century Croatian hero who defeated the Turks a couple of times before perishing sacrificially, along with his family and close supporters, in the siege of Szigeth castle. The opera is patriotic with a famous aria "
U boj, u boj "U boj, u boj" (Croatian for "To battle, to battle") is a Croatian patriotic song. It was written by Franjo Marković and composed by Ivan Zajc in 1866, who later incorporated it as an aria into his opera ''Nikola Šubić Zrinski (opera), Nikola Š ...
".


Gallery

File:The apotheosis of Miklós Zrínyi.jpg, ''The apotheosis of Miklós Zrínyi'', unknown author, 16th century File:Sigeth, Hungary, under attack (1600).jpg, The siege in '' Cosmographia'' by
Sebastian Münster Sebastian Münster (20 January 1488 – 26 May 1552) was a German cartographer and cosmographer. He also was a Christian Hebraist scholar who taught as a professor at the University of Basel. His well-known work, the highly accurate world map, ' ...
, 1600 File:Zrínyi Miklós vitéz halála Szigetvárnál 1566 szeptember 8.jpg, ''Death of knight Miklás Zrĭny at Szigetvár'' by J. Osolsobie, 1830 File:Vízkelety Béla festménye Zrínyi esküje Rohn alajos litográfiája.jpg, ''Zrínyi's oath'' by Vízkeleti Béla and Rohn Alajos, 1860 File:Zrinyi k.jpg, ''Zrinyi's Charge from the Fortress of Szigetvár'' by
Bertalan Székely Bertalan Székely (8 May 1835, Kolozsvár, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary (Now Cluj-Napoca after annexation by Romania following the Treaty of Trianon – 21 August 1910, Budapest) was a Hungarian history and portrait painter who worked in t ...
, 1879-1885 File:Zrinyi v.jpg, ''Zrinyi's Charge from the Fortress of Szigetvár'' by
Bertalan Székely Bertalan Székely (8 May 1835, Kolozsvár, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary (Now Cluj-Napoca after annexation by Romania following the Treaty of Trianon – 21 August 1910, Budapest) was a Hungarian history and portrait painter who worked in t ...
, 1879-1885 File:Hollósy Zrínyi kirohanása.jpg, ''Zrínyi's Charge on the Turks from the Fortress of Szigetvár'' by Simon Hollósy, 1896 File:Oton Ivekovic, Nikola Subic Zrinski.jpg, A portrait by
Oton Iveković Oton Iveković (17 April 1869 – 4 July 1939) was a Croatian painter. A graduate of Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, Iveković later taught at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts. He largely concerned himself with historical topics as well as some ...
, 19th century File:Cskt-zrinyi kirohanasa (1903).jpg, ''Zrinyi Launches the Final Attack'' by Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka, 1903 File:Mucha defense of Szigetvar.jpg, ''Defense of Sziget against the Turks by Nicholas Zrinsky'' (1914), by
Alphonse Mucha Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known for his distinctly stylized and decorat ...
, '' The Slav Epic''


Notes


References


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *Krokar, James P. (DePaul University) (1997) The Ottoman Presence in Southeastern Europe, 16th–19th Centuries: A View in Maps, Chicago: The Newberry Library
viewable online
* * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links



* ttp://www.cakovec.hr/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=249 Nicholas Zrinski and Battle of Szigeth {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Szigetvar Conflicts in 1566 1566 in Europe Szigetvar Szigetvar Szigetvar Szigetvar Szigetvar Military history of Hungary Siege of Szigetvar Szigetvar 1566 in the Ottoman Empire 1566 in the Habsburg Monarchy
Szigetvár Szigetvár (; hr, Siget; tr, Zigetvar; English language, English: Islandcastle; german: Inselburg) is a town in Baranya (county), Baranya County in southern Hungary. History The town's Medieval fortification, fortress was the setting of the S ...