Denis Szécsi, Ladislaus Szalkai, Szalkai glosses
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Cardinal, the Archbishop of Esztergom. After he gained his doctoral degree in canon law at Bologne, and returned home, he had a great career in the church because of his aristocratic origin: he became bishop of Nyita (1438-1439) and Eger (1439-1440). From 1444 he was cardinal and the Archbishop of Esztergom until his death. From 1453 he was chief chancellor, too. He took part in the election of the pope in Rome three times, and crowned three Hungarian kings at Székesfehérvár (Ladislaus V, Ulaslo I and Matthias Hunyadi). He supported Matthias, and he was loyal to him even in 1459, but the king deprived him of his office in the chancellery not long before his death. He was the first to bear the title 'primate of Hungary', and he rebuilt the cathedral of Esztergom (1453), and left a significant sum for maintaining it. His contemporaries considered him an excellent lawyer and preacher.
GYR
Ladislaus (László) Szalkai (1475-1526)
One of the leading political figures of the Jagello age. He was a bishop, treasurer and chancellor. He came from a serf family, the son of a shoemaker from Mátészalka. From 1494 he worked at the royal court, first in the treasury, then as a royal secretary. From 1513 to 1522 he was bishop of Vác, in 1522-1524 bishop of Eger, in 1524-1526 the archbishop of Esztergom. Meanwhile he was royal treasurer (1516-1525) and chancellor (1518-1526). He was consecrated as a priest in 1525 as the primate of the country. Under the influence of the reports of papal minister Burgio - who did not really like him - he was thought responsible for the decline of the country. In reality he was not more profit-oriented or more selfish than the other prelates, and before 1526 he had supported the strengthening of royal power. He died in the battle of Mohács.
GYR
Szalkai glosses (1490)
These glosses from 1490 were written in a study book by László Szalkai. He was born around 1475, and studied in the school of the Augustine monks at Sárospatak. He became the Bishop of Vác, then the Archbishop of Esztergom. He died in the battle of Mohács. The study book containing the glosses is owned by the Main Church Library of Esztergom.
ASH