Italy and Hungary in the Early Renaissance

Since its foundation, the Kingdom of Hungary was linked to the Italian Peninsula by means of diplomacy. These connections only intensified during the early Renaissance which encompasses the period between the beginnings of Louis I of Anjou’s reign (1342) and the Ottoman occupation (1526). Social networks built between the two territories can be divided into four main categories: diplomatic networks, merchant networks, migration networks and artistic networks or cultural exchange. These networks were dependent on each other and influenced to a great extent the spread of early Renaissance Italian culture. Amicable diplomatic relations represented a key element in the operation of Italian merchant networks in Hungary. Similarly, in- and outbound migration patterns were conditioned by these previous two networks. Consequently, the cooperation of networks of diplomacy, commerce and migration resulted in the circulation of artists and learned men between the two territories. These two groups included the humanists Pier Paolo Vergerio, Galeotto Marzio, and the painter Masolino. Thanks to their mediation, the Kingdom of Hungary gradually embraced several innovations of the Renaissance Italian culture.