Louis I of Hungary

Who was Louis I of Hungary?

Louis the Great was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 until his death.

Louis was the most senior member of the Capetian House of Anjou. He was one of the most active and accomplished monarchs of the Late Middle Ages, extending territorial control to the Adriatic and securing Dalmatia, with part of Bosnia, within the Holy Crown of Hungary. The rulers of Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Bulgaria became his vassals.

He spent much of his reign in wars with the Republic of Venice. He was in competition for the throne of Naples, with huge military success and the latter with little lasting political results. Louis was one of the first European monarchs to come into collision with the Ottoman Turks. During his reign Hungary reached the peak of its political influence. He founded University of Pécs in 1367.