Juraj Drašković
Encyclopedia
Juraj II Drašković February 5, 1525 – January 31, 1587) was a Croatian
nobleman, statesman and Catholic bishop and cardinal
, very powerful and influential in the Croato-Hungarian Kingdom
. He was a member of the Drašković
noble family and elected by Sabor – the Parliament of Croatia – as Ban (viceroy)
of Croatia
to rule the country between 1567 and 1578.
near Knin
(southern Croatia
), the eldest son of Bartol /Bartholomew/ Drašković (*c.1500; †1538) and his wife Ana née Utješinović, a sister of cardinal
Juraj Utješinović
/George Utissenich alias George Martinuzzi/ (*1482; †1551), bishop of Oradea
and archbishop of Esztergom
. Having lived in turbulent and dangerous times of Ottoman invasion, Bartol's family moved from southern Croatia
to Karlovac
region in the west part of the country. During Juraj's childhood, his father died and he was raised by his mother and his influential uncle Utješinović. He was schooled for priesthood in Krakow
(Poland) and Vienna
(Austria). In 1550 he went to study law in Padova (Italy).
Drašković started his career as provost
in Arad
(Romania) and after that in Jasov
(today in Slovakia). In 1553 he was appointed secretary of the Holy Roman Emperor and Croato-Hungarian
king Ferdinand I of Habsburg
and in 1555 he took over the prepositure of Požun (present day Bratislava, Slovakia). On April 22, 1557, Drašković became bishop of Pécs
in southern Hungary and in 1563 he took over the bishop's chair in Zagreb
, the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia
within the Habsburg Monarchy
, where he stayed until 1578.
In the meantime he was in 1567 chosen to be Ban of Croatia
, together with knez (duke) Franjo Frankopan Slunjski, a member of Frankopan
noble family. After Frankopan's death on December 2, 1572, Drašković reigned alone until 1574 and together with co-Ban Gašpar Alapić, former deputy viceroy, after that. During his reign, political and social situation in Croatia was extremely complicated, marked by Ottoman invasion, noblemen conflicts, protestantism breakthrough and peasant revolts. However, he was known as wise theologian and politician, who was always in the right place at the right time, settling most of troubles.
In 1574 Drašković was appointed archbishop of Kalocsa (Hungary), retaining the rule of Diocese of Zagreb. In 1578 he moved to Diocese of Györ and became at the same time the royal chancellor
. Emperor and king Rudolf II of Habsburg
promoted him and made him the royal governor of Hungary (1584), which is a title equal to Hungarian palatine
.
Drašković became cardinal
at the first consistory
of Pope Sixtus V
on December 18, 1585. On his way to Rome he suddenly died in Vienna
on January 31, 1587, at the age of 61. He was buried in the Cathedral of Blessed Virgin Mary in Győr
.
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
nobleman, statesman and Catholic bishop and cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, very powerful and influential in the Croato-Hungarian Kingdom
Croatia in personal union with Hungary
Kingdom of Croatia after the succession crisis become a part of Kingdom of Hungary and — depending on sources — either was incorporated into Hungary or Croatia existed in a personal union with Hungary....
. He was a member of the Drašković
House of Draškovic
The House of Drašković, also spelled Draskovich in English, is one of the oldest Croatian noble families, originally descended from lower-rank nobility of the Lika region.There are no reliable data on them before the 15th century...
noble family and elected by Sabor – the Parliament of Croatia – as Ban (viceroy)
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)
The Kingdom of Croatia was an administrative division that existed between 1527 and 1868 within the Habsburg Monarchy . The Kingdom was a part of the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen, but was subject to direct Imperial Austrian rule for significant periods of time, including its final years...
to rule the country between 1567 and 1578.
Biography
Juraj Drašković was born at BilinaBílina
Bílina is a town in the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It is located on the river Bílina. It is known for its comforting and relaxing spas.-Location:...
near Knin
Knin
Knin is a historical town in the Šibenik-Knin county of Croatia, located near the source of the river Krka at , in the Dalmatian hinterland, on the railroad Zagreb–Split. Knin rose to prominence twice in history, as a one-time capital of both the Kingdom of Croatia and briefly of the...
(southern Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
), the eldest son of Bartol /Bartholomew/ Drašković (*c.1500; †1538) and his wife Ana née Utješinović, a sister of cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Juraj Utješinović
George Martinuzzi
George Martinuzzi was a Croatian nobleman, a monk, bishop of Oradea, archbishop of Esztergom, cardinal and Hungarian statesman.-Biography:Martinuzzi was born in Kamičac, Dalmatia...
/George Utissenich alias George Martinuzzi/ (*1482; †1551), bishop of Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
and archbishop of Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
. Having lived in turbulent and dangerous times of Ottoman invasion, Bartol's family moved from southern Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
to Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
region in the west part of the country. During Juraj's childhood, his father died and he was raised by his mother and his influential uncle Utješinović. He was schooled for priesthood in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
(Poland) and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(Austria). In 1550 he went to study law in Padova (Italy).
Drašković started his career as provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
in Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
(Romania) and after that in Jasov
Jasov
Jasov is a small town and municipality in Košice-okolie District in the Kosice Region of eastern Slovakia.-St.John The Baptist Church:This is the biggest monastery complex in Slovakia and the , which forms its centrepiece, is considered one of the country's most important late-Baroque...
(today in Slovakia). In 1553 he was appointed secretary of the Holy Roman Emperor and Croato-Hungarian
Croatia in personal union with Hungary
Kingdom of Croatia after the succession crisis become a part of Kingdom of Hungary and — depending on sources — either was incorporated into Hungary or Croatia existed in a personal union with Hungary....
king Ferdinand I of Habsburg
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
and in 1555 he took over the prepositure of Požun (present day Bratislava, Slovakia). On April 22, 1557, Drašković became bishop of Pécs
Pécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
in southern Hungary and in 1563 he took over the bishop's chair in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, the capital of the Kingdom of Croatia
Kingdom of Croatia (Habsburg)
The Kingdom of Croatia was an administrative division that existed between 1527 and 1868 within the Habsburg Monarchy . The Kingdom was a part of the Lands of the Crown of St. Stephen, but was subject to direct Imperial Austrian rule for significant periods of time, including its final years...
within the Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, where he stayed until 1578.
In the meantime he was in 1567 chosen to be Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia
Ban of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
, together with knez (duke) Franjo Frankopan Slunjski, a member of Frankopan
Frankopan
The Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...
noble family. After Frankopan's death on December 2, 1572, Drašković reigned alone until 1574 and together with co-Ban Gašpar Alapić, former deputy viceroy, after that. During his reign, political and social situation in Croatia was extremely complicated, marked by Ottoman invasion, noblemen conflicts, protestantism breakthrough and peasant revolts. However, he was known as wise theologian and politician, who was always in the right place at the right time, settling most of troubles.
In 1574 Drašković was appointed archbishop of Kalocsa (Hungary), retaining the rule of Diocese of Zagreb. In 1578 he moved to Diocese of Györ and became at the same time the royal chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
. Emperor and king Rudolf II of Habsburg
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
promoted him and made him the royal governor of Hungary (1584), which is a title equal to Hungarian palatine
Palatine
A palatine or palatinus is a high-level official attached to imperial or royal courts in Europe since Roman times...
.
Drašković became cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
at the first consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V , born Felice Peretti di Montalto, was Pope from 1585 to 1590.-Early life:The chronicler Andrija Zmajević states that Felice's family originated from modern-day Montenegro...
on December 18, 1585. On his way to Rome he suddenly died in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
on January 31, 1587, at the age of 61. He was buried in the Cathedral of Blessed Virgin Mary in Győr
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
.
See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zagreb
- Ban of CroatiaBan of CroatiaBan of Croatia was the title of local rulers and after 1102 viceroys of Croatia. From earliest periods of Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Bans as a rulers representative and supreme military commander. In the 18th century, Croatian bans eventually become chief government officials in...
- House of DraškovićHouse of DraškovicThe House of Drašković, also spelled Draskovich in English, is one of the oldest Croatian noble families, originally descended from lower-rank nobility of the Lika region.There are no reliable data on them before the 15th century...
- Croatian nobilityCroatian nobilityCroatian nobility refers to the noble families of Croatia, Slavonia, Dalmatia, Istria, Bosnia and Republic of Ragusa.-General history of Croatian nobility:Croatian nobility titles mostly were granted by the kings of Croatia, later kings of Hungary-Croatia...
