ANTONIO BONFINI, HISTORIAN OF THE KINGDOM OF HUNGARY

Abstract

Following a biographical sketch of Italian humanist Anotnio Bonfini, this work proceeds to examine his travels through Hungary, his acquaintance with King Matthias Corvinus, and his great work the Rerum Ungaricarum Decades, which covers the history of Hungary from its beginnings to the end of 1495. Analysis includes the circumstances under which Bonfini was granted the honour of immortalising the history of Hungary, his personal relations with King Matthias and later with Vladislaus II Jagiellon. The work concludes with a discussion of the fate of Bonfini’s manuscript, its reception, editions and translations.