"The Museum was the first step in a process in which the post-communists lost their unlimited monopoly."Continue reading
Medieval weapon and combat demonstrations, armored jousting as a sport, joint dancing, concerts and children’s programs will commemorate the triumph of Nándorfehérvár (Belgrad, Serbia) in the neighborhood of the Franciscan monastery in Szeged (southern Hungary), on Mátyás Square on Saturday.
In 2006, on the 550th anniversary of the Triumph of Nándorfehérvár, the staff of the Franciscan monastery in Szeged’s lower town culture house organized the event to
commemorate the victory of János Hunyadi over the Turks, with the intention of paying tribute to our world-renowned victories in addition to the unfortunately large number of national days of mourning.
In 1455, St John Capistrano arrived in Hungary to build a broad Christian coalition against the Turks. In the summer of 1456, the crusaders led by him, marching southwards to the camp of János Hunyadi to help him defend Nándorfehérvár, stopped at the Franciscan monastery in Szeged, on today’s Mátyás Square, hence the Nándorfehérvár Memorial Days have a direct link with the historical event through the location of the monastery.
The only cultural program in Szeged that recalls medieval traditions will start on Friday with a panel discussion at the Visitor Center of the Szeged Dome, where visitors will have the opportunity to meet Hungarian-Moroccan folk singer and songwriter Mária Guessous Majda. This will be followed by a record release concert by the Guessous Mesi trio, bringing Hungarian and Turkish musical traditions to life.
On Saturday morning, the celebrants will gather in Klauzál Square in downtown Szeged, and then the noisy procession – with musicians, drummers, flag-wavers – will march to the Franciscan Church and Monastery, where they will be welcomed by a page school, a craft fair, a dragon trail, interactive games and live role-playing.
Visitors will be able to admire the costumes and weapons at close quarters and experience what camp life was like for the Black Army in the time of Matthias.
In addition to a war tournament, jousting, medieval weapons and military demonstrations, members of traditional associations will perform dance, concerts and puppet shows.
This year’s addition will be the introduction of buhurt, an armored jousting sport in which competitors compete in a fenced enclosure under the supervision of judges.
In the early evening, the Smyrna band will give a concert of medieval Hungarian, Western and Turkish music, and the program will end with a fire juggling performance by the Fire Fantasy group.
Sándor Wagner:The Sacrifice of Titus Dugovics (1853)
Titus Dugovics is the self-sacrificing hero of the legend of the 1456 triumph of Nándorfehérvár: the Hungarian soldier dragged the Turkish soldier who was about to raise a pheasant-wolf and crescent flag on the castle of Nándorfehérvár to his death, thus preventing the besiegers from taking the castle.
Photo via Wikipedia
The siege escalated into a major battle, during which Hunyadi led a sudden counterattack that overran the Ottoman camp, ultimately compelling the wounded Mehmed the Conqueror to lift the siege and retreat. The battle had significant consequences, as it stabilized the southern frontiers of the Kingdom of Hungary for more than half a century and thus considerably delayed the Ottoman advance in Europe.
In 2011, the National Assembly declared 22 July as the day of commemoration of the Nándorfehérvár triumph.
Via MTI, Featured photo via Facebook/Nándorfehérvári Emléknapok Szeged