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Abstract —This Article Focuses on the Journey the Hungarian Dowager Abstract —This article focuses on the journey the Hungarian Dowager Queen Elizabeth Piast undertook in 1343–1344 to the Italian Peninsula in order to bolster the claims of her son, Prince Andrew, to the Neapolitan throne. Contrary to the agreement concluded a decade earlier between King Charles i of Hungary and King Rob- ert of Naples, Andrew’s wife, Queen Joanna i, was still the sole ruler. In addition to its obvious diplomatic purpose, the trip also represented an occasion for Queen Elizabeth to express her devotion at the shrines of the Holy Apos- tles in Rome and St Nicholas in Bari, making generous donations in money and precious objects to these cult centers. By examining a series of written records including chroniclers’ accounts and inventories of the treasuries of St Peter’s and St Nicholas’ Basilicas, and confronting them with the surviving visual evidence, the author notices that the Árpádian/Angevin dynastic saints (St Stephen, St Emeric, St Ladislas, St Elizabeth, and Blessed Mar- garet) played a significant role during these devotional trips; Queen Elizabeth donated or commissioned works of art with their image. Consequently, the dynastic saints of home were present abroad during their supporters’ pilgrimage to the cult centers of other saints, and this association increased the prestige of both the dynastic saints and those promoting the cult. Keywords—pilgrimage, diplomatic journey, royal artistic patronage, royal piety, cult of saints, dynastic saints, Árpádian/Angevin saints, medieval Hungary, Kingdom of Naples, Hungarian-Italian artistic connections Dragoş Gh. Năstăsoiu Central European University of Budapest Department of Medieval Studies [email protected] Patterns of Devotion and Traces of Art The Diplomatic Journey of Queen Elizabeth Piast to Italy in 1343–1344 Dragoş Gh. Năstăsoiu Three new trends regarding royal patronage of to show the prestige of their lineage through the the cult of saints in medieval Central Europe have promotion of saints descended from their own been noted by Gábor Klaniczay to emerge by the family. Setting aside King Charlesi ’s trip to Naples middle of the fourteenth century. First, journeys in 1333 – 1334 and its artistic consequences, I shall undertaken by the prince and his court for various focus here on Dowager Queen Elizabeth Piast’s reasons offered excellent opportunities to popu- trip in 1343 – 1344 to Naples, Rome, Bari, and oth- larize dynastic saints; these could include pilgrim- er Italian towns 3. Relying on surviving written ages to some dynastic saint’s shrine, journeys to and visual evidence, I hope here to establish the attend a wedding or to witness the coronation of a role that the Hungarian dynastic saints played new king, or travels to conclude a diplomatic treaty. abroad during their supporters’ and promoters’ Second, within the context of the cult of the dead, pilgrimages to the cult centers of other, foreign dynastic cults were rapidly expanding. Finally, saints. In so doing, I will highlight the immediate there was a new vogue for art objects, edifices, and works of literature produced specifically for 1 Gábor Klaniczay, Holy Rulers and Blessed Princesses. Dynastic Cults purposes of personal piety 1. Throughout almost in Medieval Central Europe, Cambridge 2002, pp. 332 − 333. 2 2 For a historical overview of this century, see Pál Engel, The Realm a century on the Hungarian throne , members of St Stephen. A History of Medieval Hungary, 895 –1526, London of the Angevin dynasty undertook several such 2001, pp. 124 −194. 3 The journey of Charles i is analyzed by Vinni Lucherini, who journeys for either political or devotional purpos- proves that the visit had a greater impact on the funerary politics es, or some combination of both. Such journeys of the King of Naples Robert of Anjou than on the Hungarian Angevins’ artistic patronage: Vinni Lucherini, “ The Journey of gave the royal family opportunities to display the Charles i, King of Hungary, from Visegrád to Naples (1333): Its magnificence of their court abroad, to express their Political Implications and Artistic Consequences”, The Hungarian Historical Review. Acta Historica Acadamiae Scientiarum Hungari- piety at the shrine of some important saint, and cae – New Series, ii /2 (2013), pp. 341− 362. 99 artistic implications of the Dowager Queen’s trip was yet another saintly figure who, despite re- for the cult of the Árpádian /Angevin saints 4. Be- peated and unsuccessful attempts at her canon- fore I proceed, however, the reader should know ization, was revered as a saint immediately after who these dynastic saints were and how the Hun- her death. Blessed Margaret’s cult was fostered garian Angevins tried to build up their dynastic by the Angevin rulers 8, who were indeed fervent prestige through the support and promotion of supporters of their holy predecessors’ cults. their holy predecessors’ cult. After the death of the last Árpádian ruler in The rule of the founding Árpádian dynasty 1301 and after initial years of struggles between over the newly Christian Kingdom of Hungary various claimants to the Hungarian throne, the (1000/1–1301) enriched the pantheon of universal subsequent Angevin dynasty managed to secure saints with several new figures descended from and consolidate its position in the country, ruling the House of Árpád. The aura of inborn sanctity for nearly one century (1301 – 1387) 9. The reign of bestowed upon the dynasty came together with Charles Robert, a representative of the Neapol- the Árpáds’ obligation to observe closely the set itan Angevins, known also by his Italian name of virtues embodied by the dynasty’s holy prede- as Caroberto and crowned King of Hungary as cessors5. The beata stirps Arpadiana gathered among Charles i (1308 /12 – 1342) 10, did not represent a total its saintly figures: King Stepheni (r. 1000 / 1 – 1038), break with the Árpádian past, but rather its natu- the founder of the Christian Kingdom of Hungary, ral continuation. Charles i was the only surviving who converted his people to Christianity and who male heir of the House of Árpád11 and consequent- ruled as a rex iustus; Prince Emeric (1000 / 7 – 1031), ly a strong supporter of the cult of dynastic saints. the pious and chaste prince who was educated He did not use the cult of his holy predecessors to become a virtuous Christian ruler, but who only in a political and propagandistic way for died prematurely before succeeding his father proving the legitimacy of his right to the Crown to the throne; King Ladislas i (r. 1077 – 1095), the of St Stephen and his suitability to continue the athleta patriae and ideal ruler and knight, who de- work of the first Árpádian kings, however 12. Rath- fended the country against pagan enemies; and er, he directed his personal piety to the veneration Elizabeth (1207 – 1231), the Hungarian princess of his holy relatives from the Houses of Árpád and Landgravine of Thuringia, who devoted her and Anjou with consistency. In 1306, Charles i short life to attending the poor and hungry 6. The tried unsuccessfully to revive the suspended pro- canonization of the Árpádian saints happened cess of canonization of Blessed Margaret, who at different times and had various motivations, had lived as a nun in the Dominican convent on but the initiators of the canonization processes the Rabbit Island 13. Charles renovated and later have been always members of the future saint’s rebuilt St Stephen’s foundation and burial place family. King Stephen i and his son, Prince Emer- in Székesfehérvár first in 1318, and then again ic, were canonized together with three other in 1328 after a fire almost destroyed it complete- Hungarian saints in 1083 at the initiative of King ly 14. Finally, he founded the Franciscan convent Ladislas i, who tried to gain religious backing for in Lipova in 1325 together with his fourth wife, the otherwise illegitimately acquired crown. King Elizabeth Piast; this convent was dedicated to Ladislas has been canonized almost one century St Louis of Toulouse, the Hungarian king’s un- after his death (1192) at King Béla iii’s initiative, a cle 15. Judging by the names he chose for his chil- gesture lacking any political motivation, but at- dren – Charles ( b. 1321 or 1323), Ladislas ( b. 1324), testing the king’s personal affinity with his saintly Louis (b. 1326), Stephen (b. 1332), and Elizabeth predecessor. Whereas St Elizabeth of Hungary/ ( b. 1327 – 1332) 16 – as well as by the repeated visits Thuringia was canonized four years after her to the resting place of St Ladislas in Oradea under- death (1235); the Landgrave Conrad of Marburg taken throughout his reign17, Charles i had a high had been one of the main champions for the holy veneration for his beata stirps, equally Arpadiana princess’ canonization 7. The Dominican nun and and Angevina, placing himself and his kinsmen 100 daughter of King Béla iv, Margaret (1242 – 1270), under its divine protection. Following closely in the footsteps of his father and predecessor, King 8 Gábor Klaniczay, “Efforts at the Canonization of Margaret of Hungary in the Angevin Period”, The Hungarian Historical Review. Louis the Great (1342–1382) understood the advan- Acta Historica Acadamiae Scientiarum Hungaricae – New Series, ii/2 tages of having several saints in the family and (2013), pp. 313 − 340; for Margaret’s cult, see also Idem, Holy Rulers (n. 1), pp. 288 − 291. tried to acquire new political capital within the 9 Engel, Realm of St Stephen (n. 2), pp. 124 −194. borders of his kingdom. He tried also to increase 10 Ibidem, pp. 128 −132. The early years of Charles i’s presence in Hun- gary are generally not included by historians in the period of his his own prestige and that of his dynasty in the effective reign due to the strong opposition from the Hungarian nobility unwilling to accept the new ruler.
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