The Matthias Corvinus Statue (Monumentul Matia Corvin) is a monument made up of an equestrian statue of Matthias Corvinus and his four generals on Union Square (Piața Unirii) in Cluj-Napoca.
Born in Cluj-Napoca, Matthias Corvinus (1443-1490), also called Matthias I, became the King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. During his reign, he played an important role in stopping the Ottomans by centralizing the power of the state, increasing taxes, and acquiring richer territories to finance the war. He created the first permanent professional army in Europe, called the Black Army.
The Matthias Corvinus Statue was created by the sculptor János Fadrusz and inaugurated by festivities on October 12, 1902. The bronze statues of Matthias Corvin and the four commanders were brought to Cluj by train and then transported on the tracks of an old horse tram line to the center of the city, to be installed on the stone pedestal.
The equestrian statue has all four of the horse’s hooves on the ground, which, according to tradion, means that the figure on the horse died a natural death, and not in battle. Matthias Corvinus’ statue is surrounded by his generals holding flags of the military battalions they have defeated. The generals are Blasius Magyar (the leader of the Black Army), Pál Kinizsi (Count of Timiș), Stephen Zápolya (Palatine of Hungary), and Stephen Báthory (Prince of Transylvania).
