Nicholas II Vásári

Nicholas (II) Vásári (also Szügyi; Hungarian: Vásári (II.) Miklós; died 1358) was a Hungarian prelate in the 14th century, who served as Archbishop of Esztergom from 1350 until his death.

Early life

Nicholas was born in the 1300s as the son of Nicholas I Vásári, the Vice-voivode of Transylvania from 1319 to 1320, and an unidentified lady from the Telegdi family, which originated from the gens (clan) Csanád. Nicholas had three brothers and two sisters.^[1] Vásári's origin is confirmed by a letter of Pope John XXII on 2 July 1320, when called him "Nicolao nato dilecti filii nobilis viri Nicolai Comitis Viceducis Transsilvani". Former historiographical works incorrectly referred him Monoszlói or Frankói.^[2] Nicholas' grandfather was Roland Szügyi, who possessed Szügy, Nógrád County in 1255, but sometimes later moved to Bihar County, where became the owner of Vásári (present-day a depopulated area). His sons took their surname after the village. Nicholas' maternal uncle was Csanád Telegdi, the Archbishop of Esztergom from 1330 to 1349. The influential prelate became Nicholas's mentor and supporter in his ecclesiastical career.^[2]

When his uncle functioned as provost of Várad (present-day Oradea Mare, Romania), Vásári had an opportunity to study in the local collegiate school. Upon Telegdi's request, Vásári was appointed a canon of the collegiate chapter of Várad by Pope John XXII, issuing the aforementioned papal document on 2 July 1320.^[3] When Csanád Telegdi was consecrated as Bishop of Eger in January 1323, Vásári followed his uncle to the diocese. He was made a canon, then archdeacon of Borsova (still referred with this title in 1332).^[3] It is possible that Vásári attended a foreign (presumably Italian) universitas thereafter, as Pope Clement VI referred to him as iuris peritus ("learned in the law").^[4] His uncle Csanád Telegdi became Archbishop of Esztergom in September 1330. He sent his nephew and Benedictine friar Anselm to the papal court of Avignon for his pallium, receiving it on 5 January 1331.^[3] When Charles I of Hungary visited his uncle, Robert, in Naples in July 1333, Telegdi and Vásári were among the dignitaries, who escorted the royal. There Charles' second son, Andrew, was betrothed to Robert's granddaughter, Joanna, who had been made her grandfather's heir. Vásári was made canon of Várad again on 2 October 1333. Pope Benedict XII appointed him provost of Esztergom on 17 January 1339, becoming effectively his uncle's deputy in the archdiocese.^[4]

Since the late 1330s, Vásári resided in the royal court and became a faithful confidant of the royal family, even after Louis I of Hungary ascended the Hungarian throne in July 1342. When the queen mother, Elizabeth visited the Kingdom of Naples in the summer of 1343 to promote Duke Andrew, his son's interests, Vásári was among her accompaniment. Subsequently, he traveled further to Avignon as a member of the Hungarian delegation, led by Vid Vasvári, the Bishop of Nyitra. Pope Clement was the overlord of the Kingdom of Naples; they were only able to persuade him to promise that Andrew would be crowned as Joanna's husband.^[3] There, Vásári also requested the contribution of the pope in personal affairs: he requested the forgiveness of sins for himself and his living relatives, including his mother, for the time of their death; in February 1344, he asked Clement to permit him and his brothers, John and Beke, to pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the accompaniment of each 10 persons. Vásári also requested the pope to grant the right of indulgence to the parish church in their residence Vásári, dedicated to Martin of Tours.^[4]

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