| The coronation city of the Kingdom of Hungary |
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An unexpected turnaround in the history of the city came in the 16th century. In a tragic battle with the Turks at the Battle of Mohacs in 1526 Hungarian King Louis II died after falling from his horse. Despite the counter candidature of John Zapolya and resistance from a large part of the Hungarian nobility, at the subsequent session in Bratislava’s Franciscan church it was Ferdinand Habsburg who was appointed as the new king. The Turks advanced swiftly into the heart of the country. The Hungarian nobility rescued itself by fleeing to the territory of present day Slovakia, to which they took also the state offices. In 1530 the Turks threatened also Bratislava and partly destroyed it with cannon fire. The catastrophe that struck the Kingdom of Hungary after the Battle of Mohacs paradoxically worked in favour of Bratislava. After the occupation of the capital Buda, the Hungarian nobility, secular and clerical dignitaries looked for a refuge to the north of the River Danube, and one that was as close as possible to Vienna, the seat of King Ferdinand. The advantageous position and relative safety of Bratislava predestined it to become the new capital of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarian Diet took the decision at its session from 1536. This small city of traders, craftsmen and winemakers became the seat of the country, and the seat of the lordship and the church. Bratislava became the parliament city of the kingdom and the coronation city of Hungarian kings, the seat of the king, the archbishop and the most important institutions of the country. In the period 1536-1830 some 11 kings and queens were crowned in St. Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava. The Official Website of the City of Bratislava |