- Nikola Kont Orahovički (Iločki)
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Nikola Kont Orahovički (Iločki) Croato-Hungarian nobleman Title Župan, King's chief retainer, Voivode (duke), Palatine Country Croato-Hungarian Kingdom Noble family Orahovički (ancestral house of the Iločki family) Birth beginning of the 14thcentury Death before April 16th, 1367 Father Lovro (Laurence), called Slaven (English: The Slav, Latin: Sclavus), Hungarian: Tót) Mother unknown Consort Klara née Zsámboki Children Bartol II, Nikola II, Katarina Nikola Kont Orahovički (English: Nicholas Cont of Orahovica), (Hungarian: Raholcai Kont Miklós), (*? - † before April 16, 1367) was a Croato-Hungarian nobleman, very powerful and influential in the royal court of king Louis the Angevin, serving as Count palatine. He was the forefather and founder of the Iločki noble family.
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Life and career
Nikola was a descendant of a noble family originating from the area of Dubica district in medieval Lower Slavonia. Having served in the king Louis' army during military campaigns on the present-day Italian soil, he got the nickname Kont (from Italian: conte = count). The adjective Orahovički was attributed to his name since his father Lovro /Laurence/ gained the Orahovica estate, including large Ružica Castle. He was born at the beginning of the 14th century and had two brothers, Bartol /Bartholomew/ and Leukus, who performed important functions at the royal court as well (cup-bearer, chief retainer), but did not managed to achieve his glory.
In the middle of the 14th century Nikola became one of the leading magnates of the king and was given the new titles and properties. In the period between 1343 and 1367 he was the knight of Udvar, royal cup-bearer (1345–1351), Voivode (duke) of Transylvania (1451-1356) and finally Count Palatine (1356–1367). In the meantime he served as Župan (count) of several counties in Croatia and Hungary (Sopron, Varaždin, Vas, Szolnok, Sáros etc.).
In his military career he distinguished himself especially in some battles in Italy. In the 1347-1348-war he commanded, together with Ivan Gorjanski (uncle of Nikola I Gorjanski), the military unit that conquered L'Aquila, and in 1350, during the siege of Aversa, he became commander-in-chief of king's forces, after Stjepan Lacković had been removed. He commanded the Louis' army during the campaign against medieval Banate of Bosnia (ruled by future king Tvrtko Kotromanić) in 1363, and against Bulgaria in 1365. Although formally Kotromanić was Louis' vassal, the latter undertook military action because of Bosnian heretics. The campaign was unsuccessful.
When the Ilok branch of the Hungarian noble family Csák died out in 1364, the king gave the Ilok fief to Nikola and his nephew Ladislav /Ladislaus/, the son of Leukus. So the Orahovički family transferred its seat in 1365 to Ilok and soon after that Nikola's descendants started to call themselves Iločki.
When Nikola died in 1367, he was succeeded by his two sons, Nikola II (†1397) and Bartol II (†1393), who however did not reach the power and glory of their father.
Castles
Fortified town Ilok
in SrijemSee also
- Orahovica
- Ilok
- House of Iločki
- Nikola Iločki
- Louis the Angevin
External links
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